Although therapeutic abortion has been legal in Peru for over a century, access remains limited, and women face harsh criminalization. Between 2018 and 2023, the police registered 79 complaints related to therapeutic abortions, even though these procedures are legally permitted to protect the health or life of the pregnant person. A national survey by Demus (in Spanish, Estudio para la Defensa de los Derechos de la Mujer; in English, Study for the Defense of Women’s Rights), and Ipsos found that only 27% of Peruvian women are aware of this procedure. 

Legal and social barriers persist as doctors often refuse to perform the procedure due to fear of prosecution or personal beliefs. Legislative changes and misinformation campaigns also threaten access to abortion. Testimonies gathered by the newspaper El Ojo Público share stories of women going to the hospital to receive treatment for their abortion, only to be reported to the police.

Regions with high criminalization rates, such as Apurímac and Ayacucho, disproportionately affect Indigenous women. Experts warn that the combination of legal ambiguities, conservative political pressure, and widespread misinformation continues to stigmatize women and impede their reproductive rights.

Compiled From: Gloria Ziegler and Gianfranco Huamán, “Aborto terapéutico en Perú: se duplica el acoso policial hacia mujeres”, El Ojo Público, Sept. 28, 2025.