The left-wing Honduran president Xiomara Castro legalized the sale, without medical prescription, from yesterday Thursday, of “morning after pill», contraceptive of emergency use, as requested by feminist organizations, despite the opposition of Christian churches and conservative circles, who equate its use with abortion.

The “morning after pill” will be freely sold in pharmacies in a country where abortion is otherwise absolutely prohibited, without exceptions, even in cases of severe malformation of the fetus, pregnancy due to rape or incest, or danger to the life of the expectant mother .

“The World Health Organization (WHO) states that (the ‘morning-after pill’) is part of a woman’s reproductive rights and is not an abortion,” Mrs. Castro said, announcing its approval via Twitter.

The sale of the “morning-after pill” was also legalized in Honduras during the days of President Manuel Zelaya (2006-2009), the husband of the current head of state, but was banned again a few months after he was overthrown by a military coup in October 2009.

The decree was signed by Mrs. Castro and Health Minister Manuel Mateu on Wednesday night, International Women’s Day: “we honor the historic struggle of women by signing (the approval of) the free commercialization and use” of the contraceptive, the president explained.

The legalization of the “morning-after pill” was a campaign promise of Mrs. Castro, the first woman to assume the presidency of Honduras in January 2022, one of the last countries in Latin America where it remained outlawed until yesterday.

In November, it was allowed to be used by rape victims.

The year before Ms. Castro took over as president of Honduras, the country’s Congress, where the Roman Catholic church maintains great influence, approved a revision of the Constitution to defend draconian anti-abortion laws that require a three-quarters majority in parliament to change. Women’s and human rights organizations have since repeatedly appealed to the courts, without success.

Between 50,000 and 80,000 illegal abortions take place in Honduras every year, an NGO estimated in 2019.

Also, while it is not in Mrs. Castro’s government’s plans to allow same-sex marriage, talks are underway with LGBT+ organizations to draft legislation that would authorize sex-change operations.

Hundreds of women demonstrated on Wednesday in cities in the Central American country, especially in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, making demands such as expanding their reproductive rights and intensifying the fight against femicide.