[2] Approximately four-fifths of Panama's population practices Roman Catholicism, which has as its official stance that abortion is murder.
In Panama, abortion is illegal with the exception of two circumstances: if the mother's life is endangered by the pregnancy, or if she is the victim of rape or incest.
If the woman's husband is found guilty of performing the abortion, the penalties are increased by one sixth.
Other forms of contraception that require a fee, such as other IUDs and chemical drugs (like the Depo shot), are available, but the woman does not need to get a prescription to obtain them.
[4] In 1965, the Asociación Panameña para el Planeamiento de la Familia (APLAFA) was founded to help women control the size of their families.