Abortion in Uruguay is legal on request before twelve weeks of gestation, after a five-day reflection period.
Uruguay is one of only four countries in South America where abortion is legal on request; the other three are Argentina, Guyana and Colombia.
In 2004, a team of professionals including gynecologists, midwives, psychologists, nurses and social workers founded a group called Iniciativas Sanitarias ("Health Initiatives").
While a number of politicians and advocacy groups protested its legalization, in 2013, they failed to muster the required support for a national referendum to settle the matter,[10] and the political positions are varied, with leaders from all the parties that think differently.
[11] This debate is found throughout Latin America and is reflected in the countries' diverse policies on abortion and reproductive healthcare.