Résumé : On August 4, 1994, a specially convened Congress met in Argentina to incorporate changes in the Constitution imposed by the 1969 American Convention on Human Rights. Article 4 of that Convention, which was not ratified by Congress until March, guarantees respect and protection for every person's life, beginning at conception. Abortion has been illegal in Argentina since 1921, except in cases of rape where the victim is mentally incapacitated and in cases where the mother's life is in extreme danger. Persons performing abortions face jail terms of 10-15 years; patients receive 4 years. A decree in 1974 by Isabel Peron prohibited the offering of information about contraception and sterilization; this was overturned in 1987. Responsible parenthood campaigns in Buenos Aires, where a quarter of the country's population of 34 million is situated, have targeted groups of women at risk and offered free advice and female contraceptives. The World Health Organization estimates that 365,000 illegal abortions are performed annually in Argentina. According to a study conducted in Buenos Aires between July, 1991 and December, 1993, abortion is the third most important cause of death in females aged 10-49 after acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and pregnancy complications (not including deaths due to accidents). Although pro-choice groups failed to block the heavily qualified changes in the Constitution, demonstrations continued, including one on August 9 in Buenos Aires that was conducted by members of the national Human Rights Committee.
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