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The fact that women in Chile don't have a right to choose is disturbing — and so are these videos.

Wow.

TRIGGER WARNING: These videos, while fictional, are violent and somewhat disturbing to watch. They make an important point, but it's up to you to decide whether you wish to view them.

Chile has extremely restrictive abortion laws.

Currently, it's not legal under any circumstances to have an abortion in Chile. Dictator Augusto Pinochet enacted complete abortion prohibition in 1989 near the end of his rule.


Image by Miles Chile.

"Twelve bills [to decriminalise abortion] have been tabled in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate since 1991," Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said in January 2015 when a bill was introduced to allow women to terminate pregnancies up to the 12th week of pregnancy in cases of rape, where the mom's life is at risk, or when the fetus is so severely malformed that it wouldn't survive on its own.

"Facts have shown that the absolute criminalization of abortion has not stopped the practice" of abortion, President Bachelet said. "This is a difficult situation and we must face it as a mature country."

Horrifyingly, the only way a woman can legally terminate a pregnancy in Chile is "accidental abortion."

Which is ... exactly what it sounds like.

A new campaign in Chile uses videos that depict the lengths some women will go to end a pregnancy when abortion is illegal.

The PSAs show women giving advice on how to legally terminate their pregnancies.

In this one, a woman is shown explaining how to terminate a pregnancy by throwing herself down the stairs.

"You can do this at home or at work, it doesn't matter. It's important that you find a long and steep set of stairs. Make sure there's not CCTV so that no one can see you. You must be alone. Only one person should know your whereabouts in case you end up unconscious. But hopefully you won't."

In another, a woman explains a different terrifying method of "accidental abortion" — intentionally stepping into traffic just as the light turns yellow and cars accelerate to beat the red. "Rumor has it that the faster they go, the lesser the reaction."

"Walk calmly by the traffic lights. Wait ... and when it's about to change yellow, pick the car most likely to speed up. Oh! Make sure the car hits you head on.
Stomach-bumper.
And cross the street."

Making therapeutic abortion legal is a step in the right direction.

Studies show that women will terminate pregnancies regardless of whether abortion is legal. The choice lawmakers in each country have to make is whether those seeking to terminate their pregnancies should be able to do so safely.

As upsetting as the videos are to watch, the point of the campaign is to encourage support for the new legislation that gives women an option for a therapeutic abortion. Visit Miles Chile to learn more about their work for women's rights.

It's a disturbing thought — a woman intentionally throwing herself down a flight of stairs or in front of traffic to end a pregnancy. But so is not having the option to do that medically and safely.

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