Since taking office in December 2023, Argentina’s President Javier Milei and his government have dismantled key sexual and reproductive health protections. A report published by the Center for State and Society Studies (CEDES) highlights that Milei’s rhetoric on abortion creates “a climate of risk and uncertainty,” generating misinformation and confusion for pregnant people regarding access to abortion services, disrupting care, and affecting the safety of health professionals.
The administration has halted national distribution of misoprostol and mifepristone, essential drugs for abortion care and miscarriage management, effectively restricting access to these services. It has also cut distribution of contraceptives, emergency contraception, and pregnancy tests, as well as the National Plan for the Prevention of Unintended Adolescent Pregnancy. This plan had helped reduce adolescent fertility rates by nearly half between 2018 and 2021, and its suspension leaves many girls and adolescents with fewer options to prevent unintended pregnancies, increasing the risk of health harms.
Argentina legalized abortion up to 14 weeks in December 2020, a landmark achievement won through decades of advocacy by the women’s rights movement and the Green Wave movement across Latin America. However, the Milei administration’s cuts have shifted the responsibility for ensuring access to legal abortion—including essential supplies—entirely to provincial governments and health teams.
These rollbacks disproportionately impact women, girls, and pregnant people living in low-income or under-resourced provinces, where inequalities are more pronounced. Nearly half of respondents in a recent survey reported paying out-of-pocket costs, most commonly for ultrasounds, imposing an economic burden on those already living in poverty. In 2024, the national government did not purchase abortion medications, leaving the cost to provincial governments. CEDES highlights wide provincial disparities, with abortion services available in as few as 2% of public facilities in some provinces, while 70–90% of facilities offer care in others, underscoring the unequal impact of national rollbacks.
The government’s undermining of abortion access may violate internationally protected rights of women and girls, including the rights to life, health, and privacy. Experts urge the national government to urgently restore programs, ensure abortion and contraception services and necessary supplies are available nationwide, and guarantee that women, girls, and pregnant people can exercise their rights and make informed decisions about their bodies and futures.
Related Posts
