Women's health pays the price. Though roughly the same number of abortions are performed annually in Brazil as in the United States, Brazil records about 400,000 annual hospitalizations for medical complications resulting from abortions. For the population conference in Cairo, the Government adopted a policy of supporting language in conference documents that is allowing contraception but permitting abortion only in the case of rape or a threat to the mother's health. Catholic bishops have spoken out in newspaper essays in favor of ' natural methods' of family planning like rhythm. . . But the church's efforts are expected to make little headway, undermined by a traditional Brazilian irreverence for authority and increasing pressures on a heavily urban population to have small families.
Brazil is also part of the modern world.
Catholicism in Brazil was always based on a dualism. Brazilian Catholics have no problems about going to Mass and then taking the pill. . . In the latest fight the church is pressing senators to reject a bill that would allow Brazil's national health service to provide free contraceptive devices and counseling as well as vasectomies and sterilizations for women. Sponsored by a Workers Party congressman from Sao Paulo, the bill was approved in June by Brazil's Chamber of Deputies. . . Copyright 1994 by Women's International Network News.