Compromis asked the Cortes to remind the Alicante City Council and the Generalitat Valenciana of their duty to provide young people with access to information about safe sex, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, and the implications of sexual activity, including the risk of unwanted pregnancies. The discussion centers on how the law will be shaped after the PP and Vox agreed to create an office for maternity care within the Alicante city budget, a move the opposition labeled as a secret anti abortion measure.
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Deputy Monica Alvaro, a member of the Chamber’s Health Commission, highlighted an initiative to simultaneously strengthen Valencian public health centers with more staff and resources. The goal is to ensure the same standard of care for voluntary interruption of pregnancy while maintaining high-quality public service. These standards align with national regulations, especially in the southern part of the Valencian Community.
Lack of protection for women
The central concern in Alicante is the insufficient protection for women to freely exercise their rights. The anti abortion offices proposed by the Barcala administration are viewed as not helping to address the core issue. In a department that reaches out to authorities at Alicante General Hospital, the idea of an anti abortion office is seen as out of place, particularly since local doctors have publicly declared conscientious objection according to the ministry’s data.
The MP continued: the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy in a public center is not currently available in the city of Alicante, as stated in Organic Law 1/2023. Therefore, the proposal to be voted on in the Cortes requires expansion and provision for the southern areas, especially the zone extending to Alicante. The same conditions and equality for voluntary termination of pregnancy should be accessible across Valencia. If the Barcala government worries that young women will be prevented from becoming pregnant, the response should be stronger family planning and preventive measures rather than new offices that restrict care.
Lack of prevention
Compromis argues that 2022 abortion data, not yet posted on the ministry’s site, points to a notable rise in abortions in 2021. Prevention is lacking and public health funding has faced cuts, a situation that runs counter to the law taking effect in 2023. There is a call to act quickly and allocate resources so that women’s rights are not compromised in any way.
Additionally, Alvaro notes that pregnant women facing economic or social hardship have protections. The technical services of the Alicante City Council point out that the right to carry a pregnancy to term is supported by Law 3/2019, the Inclusive Social Services Law passed by the previous Botànic government. This framework reinforces the support available to expectant mothers and underscores the importance of accessible health and social services during pregnancy.