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Peruvian congresswoman Luciana Leon claimed in an interview that a vaginal wash is more effective than abortion when a woman has been raped.
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The Alianza Popular representative said that other alternatives existed aside from therapeutic abortion.
Leon participated in a debate over abortion in the case of rape, and was one of some 10,000 to attend the anti-abortion March for Life last Saturday.
“To talk about abortion many stages have to pass … if there has been sexual violence you can go and do a vaginal wash,” Leon said, much to the surprise of her Frente Amplio debate opponent Isabel Cedano.
Leon continued, “You can also take the morning after pill and you have many other methods before coming to the topic of abortion.”
Vaginal washes or douches are not considered to be a safe method to avoid pregnancy because they do not prevent the fertilization of a woman’s egg. They are more commonly used in the treatment of bacterial infections.
Abortion remains a controversial topic in Peru and across South America.
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Some 10,000 people took to the streets of Lima last week in a pro-life demonstration “to create consciousness in favor of life and against abortion.”
Meanwhile in Chile, which has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world, the lower house approved abortion in limited circumstances.
Under the measure approved by the Chamber of Deputies, abortion will be allowed in cases of rape, risk to the mother or when the fetus is no longer considered viable. The Senate must now approve the draft.
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