They are your rights, assert them

According to FACTUM, 52 % of the population thinks it is "important for abortion to be a key issue in the election campaign", whereas only 36 % think the opposite.

On the other hand, more than 60 % of voters claim that they don’t know where their party or candidate stand on this issue. The study states that "between 60% and 80% of Uruguayans don’t know if the main four political parties or their presidential candidates, respectively, have a position on abortion."

The report then concludes that two out of three voters think candidates "should have a clear position on the issue." This is the opinion of voters without distinction of political, ideological or religious preferences.

Another revealing thing provided by the study is the fact that the vast majority of voters believe religious authorities should stay out of the debate on the decriminalization of abortion. 54 % agree with this, while 36 % agree with some kind of meddling from religious authorities.

This study was published in the context of the launch of the 2009 campaign for sexual and reproductive rights: "The decisions about your body, health and life belong to you. They are your rights, assert them." The mission of this campaign is to broaden the political debate on issues such as abortion, HIV AIDS, sexual violence, pregnancy and delivery, all issues that affect the personal experiences and relationships of each individual and, as such, affect their Human Rights.

The statistical survey is representative of the entire country including urban, rural and settlement areas and was carried out in June 2009 on a sample of 963 cases of people who qualify to vote in the next national elections.