A Personal View: Navigating conflicting claims of legality and women's safety at a volunteer medical clinic in Guatemala.

This paper examines the ethical considerations in a case of a 12-year-old girl seeking an abortion in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala in early 2020. The physician denied the girl care and did not refer her to a qualified provider, citing the illegality of such actions. Though abortion is illegal in Guatemala, enforcement of the law is sparse, and many abortions are performed every year. The physician would have taken on minimal personal risk by helping the girl. This case exemplifies a circumstance in which breaking the law to help a patient is ethically justified.