Right to life Guatemala

[naaman fletcher]

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/birthrights/2011/04/201141275013687249.html

Today, illegal abortions are the leading cause of death among young women in Latin America. Whether they are performed in major cities or in the isolated countryside, these 'back room' abortions are leaving thousands of young women dead each year.

Guatemala has the highest fertility rate among women and yet it remains the poorest country in the region where women can ill afford large families. Unwanted pregnancies, coupled with the forces of tradition and politics, leave few options for these families.

Through the work of an activist and the medical team she leads, this film explores the questions of family planning, which many see as the right to life.
Maternal health is about more than just mothers and babies. Across the globe the very business of delivering life into the world is determined by power, politics and, all too frequently, poverty. From rural Vietnam to urban America, Birthrights
examines the challenges surrounding childbirth. Episodes air at the following times
GMT: Monday: 2230; Tuesday: 0930; Wednesday: 0330; Thursday: 1630.