Red de Salud de la Mujer Dominicana estimates that in the DR some 82,500 clandestine abortions are performed every year among a population of 3.9 million women. Abortion is penalized by law in the DR. Abortions are considered the third major cause of maternal deaths. The Red de la Salud is a network that advocates privatizing abortions. They argue that since they are illegal, poor women cannot get adequate medical assistance and perform these in unsanitary conditions. The DR has one of the highest numbers of abortions per woman population in Latin America. Only six countries in Latin America penalize the performing of abortions. The request to make abortions legal is not likely to move as the DR is a country where the Catholic Church has very strong influence.
