Conscientious Objection to the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy: Motivations that go beyond Moral and Religious Beliefs in Chilean Health Professionals
In Chile, conscientious objection (CO) is an obstacle to guarantee access to voluntary interruption
of pregnancy (IVE) for women, due to the high number of objectors in public health services, who
object due to a conflict of conscience between medical practice and moral or religious beliefs. The
objective of this study is to understand health care professionals’ different motivations for
becoming conscientious objectors. To meet this objective, we draw on theories from social
psychology and feminism to analyze interviews with medical and non medical professionals of the
Araucanía Region’s public health service. We identified motivations that do not qualify as moral
or religious beliefs, such as workings, distrust in the criteria of the woman requesting the IVE and
colleagues, or the fear of legal problems. We conclude that CO is constituted by factors influenced
by personal beliefs and values, as well as by contextual and relational factors, generating a
conscientious pseudo-objection (CP-O) statement, which further limits women's access to IVE.
Carolina Alveal-Álamos, Universidad de la Frontera
Licenciada en Sociología. Doctorante en Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
Beatriz Pérez Sánchez, Universidad de la Frontera
Licenciada en Psicología. Doctora en Psicología. Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, España. Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de La Frontera. Autora de Correspondencia
Augusto Obando Cid, Universidad de la Frontera
Licenciado en Matronería. Licenciado en Educación. Magíster en Ciencias Sociales Aplicadas. Doctor en Procesos Sociales y Políticos en América Latina. Doctor en Ciencias Sociales. Departamento Salud Pública, Universidad de La Frontera.
Lindsey Carte, Universidad de la Frontera
Licenciada en Estudios Latinoamericanos. Master en Estudios Latinoamericanos. Doctora en Geografía. Núcleo Científico Tecnológico en Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Universidad de La Frontera.
Luisa Jara Sepúlveda, Universidad de la Frontera
Educadora de Párvulos. Estudiante Magister en Psicología, Universidad de La Frontera.
Alveal-Álamos, C. ., Pérez Sánchez, B. ., Obando Cid, A. ., Carte, L., & Jara Sepúlveda, L. (2022). Conscientious Objection to the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy: Motivations that go beyond Moral and Religious Beliefs in Chilean Health Professionals. Revista Punto Género, (17), pp.307–344. https://doi.org/10.5354/2735-7473.2022.67663
