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Spain’s Health Ministry has launched a new campaign aimed at challenging the stigma and guilt surrounding abortion, while reminding women that they’re entitled to information, support and respectful healthcare.

 

The campaign, launched on Tuesday September 22, uses the slogan “Everything will be alright. Because having an abortion is your right” and follows a woman through the different emotions she might experience after discovering she’s pregnant.

 

The advert points out that some women may feel excited, nervous or uncertain, while others may already know what they want to do. It also recognises that women may choose to discuss their pregnancy with partners, friends or relatives, while others may prefer to keep the decision private.

 

The campaign acknowledges that some women may receive support from those around them while others could face pressure or judgement. Its central message is that there isn’t one particular way a woman should feel about having an abortion.

 

 

Health Minister Mónica García reinforced that point during the launch, explaining that women can experience the decision in very different ways.

 

“There isn’t just one way to experience and talk about abortion. You don’t have to demonstrate suffering for the decision to deserve respect,” she said.

 

Ms García added that some women feel relief, others sadness, while some have doubts and others are certain from the beginning. She said they should all receive the same respectful treatment.

 

The campaign also highlights access to abortion through Spain’s public healthcare system. Ministry figures show that almost 8 in 10 voluntary terminations of pregnancy in 2024 were carried out in private centres.

 

According to the Ministry, the public health system should be able to provide care throughout pregnancy and childbirth as well as when a woman decides to terminate a pregnancy. Ms García called for sufficient healthcare professionals, appropriate training, clear procedures and accessible information about the available methods.

 

She also addressed conscientious objection among healthcare workers, describing it as an individual right that must be organised in a way that still allows women to access abortion services.

 

The campaign ends by reinforcing its central message, with the Ministry stating that women have the right to receive care that respects their decision and to access abortion through Spain’s public healthcare system.

 

 

Image: Magnific