User:Jackstro/sandbox

In South America

In places like South America where there is still a predominately Catholic force in both religion and politics it is taboo to discuss things such as sexuality, sexual education and contraception. Sex education is limited to children or teens attending private non-religious schools, things like maternal death, teen pregnancies, and sexual violence are prevalent and continue to affect the region. Places such as Nicaragua with a population of 5.6 million, where individuals are at an income of barely $1,200 a year children attending private schools are little to none (36). In 2002 sexual education was a guarenteed right by a law that was placed when the National Program of Sexual Health and Procreation was created In Argentina. Similarly in 2006 when Buenos Aires city met with the National Program to pass a municipal law that gives the right of sexual education for all students although it is yet to be implemented universally (39).

SlutWalks have taken over the region now taking place in some conservative Catholic countries such as Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Guatemala. According to Sex and the Barrio writers Edgerton and Sotirova, SlutWalk protests began in South America taking on the name "Marcha de las Putas" (34). They are protesting the idea that women dressed in revealing clothing are asking to get raped. They held the walk in the South American capitol of Buenos Aires on September 28, the day in 1990 that was named the day for the Decriminalization of Abortion in Latin America (34-35). Some SlutWalks due to the overwhelming Catholic influence have taken on an anti-Catholic tone in response to sermon's given by leading clergymen including, "Woman should dress modestly to avoid being "objectified," he observed, adding that the purpose of sex is "fertilization." The march even reached the Cathedral of San Jose just as mass was concluding.

In many parts of South America abortion is illegal where the mothers health is secondary to the health of the unborn child. Some countries including Nicaragua, Chile, Honduras, and El Salvador have this law in place(37). In Nicaragua the law prohibits all abortions, even in extreme cases where the mothers life is endangered by the pregnancy due to a rape. This law was passed in 2006 (35) anyone including mothers or physicians suspected of inducing or performing abortions risk imprisonment. According to Cecilia Espinoza of IPAS, "there is no division between religion-party-state-family in Nicaragua".