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in Action
. Tony Award-winning
composer, lyricist and
The drug's manufacturer explicitly actor lin-Manuel
states that it not be used for abortion, and Miranda (above) is the
face of the Latina
no U.S.grouphas endorsed the drugfor that
Adolescent Suicide
purpose. But doctors often prescribe miso- Prevention Campaign,
prostol off-labeltogether with RU-486 (the a Brooklyn. New York-
based awareness
"abortion pill") to terminate a pregnancy,
. UNITEDSTATES and the American Collegeof Obstetricians
campaign consisting of
print ads, flyers, posters

D.I.Y. and Gynecologistsrecommends misopros-

tol to induce labor.In most states, it's illegal
and radio public service
announcements. The
program will encourage

Abortions to perform an abortion without a physi-

cian-a law that has one Latina teen in
Latina teens who are
struggling with severe
IT CARRIES THE riskofuterinerupture Massachusetts facing seven years in prison depression to seek help
from prevention centers
or even death. Still, ignoring the warnings, for murder after unsuccessfully attempting in the community.
many low-income Latinas are paying for to end her 25-week pregnancy with miso- . As celebrity
risky,do-it-yourself abortions bought over prostol. The youth gave birth to a 1pound

.
the counter with just $30 and a willing
pharmacist. The method is simple: Take
a packet of misoprostol-a drug approved
by the FDAfor stomach ulcers-then wait
cochairperson for Miami
baby that lived four days. GuitarTown (miami
guitartown.com), a
So why would any woman run these Gibson Guitar public arts
risks? For one, experts say, Latinas face project, Gloria Estefan
cultural stigmas against abortion, in addi- will help raise funds for

LaTIna for cramps, heavybleeding and, eventually, tion to language barriers, lackof economic
three charities based in
her hometown: The
. .con} what looks like a miscarriage. For unin- resources and a sea of bureaucracy that Miami Music Art Fund,
sured and undocumented women who. many are ill equipped to navigate. Miami Children's
'. can't afford to pay upward of $400 for an But with organizations like Planned Hospital Foundation and
,, the Art and Culture
. , abortion or who fear deportation, the drug Parenthood reaching out to our commu-
. can seem like the best way out-especially nity,let's hope Latinas willleavethose pills
Center
-Dorkys
of Hollywood.
Ramos

since it can be used in private. at the pharmacy. - Franziska Castillo

. ECUADOR

Put It on My Tab
IS ECUADOR HEADED for economic ruin? Thafs the question Ecuadoreans are asking
after leftist President Rafael Correa announced the country would stop payments on
its $10 billion foreign debt. The move came after the government released a report
charging that a large chunk of the debt was "illegitimate" -the result of shady dealings
by ex-presidents .and global investment banks. Correa told the press that by defaulting,
he hoped to pressure multilaterals like the World Bank into giving Ecuador better
loan terms, and free up money for social programs that have been key in securing him
popular support. But considering that Ecuador's economy is in good enough shape to
pay up-and has already benefited from two debt forgiveness programs in 1995 and
1999-experts say the move is likely to draw lawsuits from bondholders, send foreign
investors running for the hills of Peru and even cause riots if a crashing economy
prevents Correa from delivering. -RC.

70 LATINA.COM . MAY 2009