Almost eight years after the entry into force of Law No. 21,030, which decriminalized voluntary termination of pregnancy (IVE) under three grounds, effective access to this right continues to face significant obstacles in Chile. This is the conclusion of the Conscientious Objection Report in Chile 2025, prepared by Corporación Humanas.
The research, developed from requests for access to public information made to the Ministry of Health, Health Services, and public hospitals throughout the country, as well as interviews with organizations and specialists in sexual and reproductive rights, analyzes the impact that conscientious objection has on access to the services guaranteed by law.
Although the legislation in force since 2017 allows pregnancy termination when there is a risk to the woman’s life, lethal fetal inviability, or when the pregnancy is a result of rape, the study concludes that access remains unequal and largely depends on the territory and the capacities of each health facility.
“The law exists, but access remains deeply unequal. Today, the possibilities of effectively accessing a service guaranteed by law continue to depend on where a person lives, the hospital where they are treated, and the availability of non-objecting medical teams,” says Jennifer Alfaro Montecinos, Coordinator of Studies and Strategic Litigation at Corporación Humanas.
Between June 2024 and June 2025, 1,065 voluntary pregnancy termination procedures were performed under the IVE Law framework. Of these, 388 corresponded to the ground of rape, becoming the main access route to the service.
The figures are particularly concerning among minors. 100% of girls under 14 years who accessed the law did so on the ground of rape. In the case of adolescents between 14 and 17 years, the percentage reached 77%.
According to Ministry of Health data updated to October 2025, 40.4% of obstetric doctors in the public system declare themselves conscientious objectors on this ground. The figure decreases to 20% in cases of fetal inviability and to 13.7% when the woman’s life is at risk. Among anesthetists, 18.8% declare themselves objectors on the ground of rape, while among paramedical technicians the figure reaches 11%.
The research also collects testimonies that reveal revictimizing practices, paternalistic discourses, and questioning of the accounts of women and girls requesting access to pregnancy termination.
For Corporación Humanas, this concentration of objection in cases of sexual violence evidences the persistence of stigmas and questioning towards those requesting access to these services, especially girls, adolescents, and victims of sexual assault.
The Araucanía Norte Health Service records the highest percentage of obstetric doctors objecting on the ground of rape, with 82.4%. It is followed by the Maule Health Service, with 63.5%, and the O’Higgins Health Service, with 63.3%.
At the hospital level, 34 public facilities present objection levels equal to or greater than 40% on the ground of rape. Among the most critical cases are Cauquenes Hospital, where 100% of obstetric doctors are objectors; Sótero del Río Hospital, with 89.3%; Victoria Hospital, with 88.9%; Santa Cruz Hospital, with 85.7%; Dra. Eloísa Díaz Clinical Hospital, with 83.3%; and El Pino Hospital, with 80%.
The case of Cauquenes stands out especially because all of its obstetric and anesthetist medical staff declare themselves objectors on all three grounds. Although the facility refers these cases to higher complexity centers, the report warns that it does not have specific reassignment and referral protocols.
“Behind these figures are care trajectories marked by delays, referrals, misinformation, and institutional obstacles that especially affect those already in situations of greater vulnerability,” adds Alfaro.
The report also identifies significant deficits in transparency and information towards patients. In this regard, only 32.4% of public hospitals reported having visible information for users about the rights contemplated in the IVE Law.
Likewise, only 23% of the facilities that responded to information requests indicated having specific protocols for patient reassignment and referral, while 71% stated they do not have these instruments.
Corporación Humanas warns that the lack of clear information and adequate referral mechanisms can become a form of obstruction to access to rights and even lead to situations of institutional violence.
Among the cases documented by the research is that of a woman who requested access on the ground of life risk due to suicidal ideation and who, according to the report, ended up handcuffed to a stretcher after intervention by Carabineros.
As part of its work monitoring the implementation of the law, Corporación Humanas developed an interactive platform that allows access to information about conscientious objection in the public health system.
The report also analyzes the amendments to the Conscientious Objection Regulation approved in May 2025, which incorporate new obligations for public and private facilities, including duties of information, referral protocols, and measures to ensure the availability of non-objecting personnel.
The organization maintains that the current levels of conscientious objection reinforce the need to strengthen oversight mechanisms and guarantee that women, girls, adolescents, and pregnant people can exercise the rights recognized by law without facing barriers or discrimination.
