A law legalising abortion in Portugal went into force on Sunday, putting the traditionally Catholic country on a par with most European countries that allow the practice.
The law will allow pregnant women to abort in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
It came into force after a referendum in February. The referendum was invalid because of low turnout but of those who voted 59.25 percent wanted to lift the ban. That led the ruling Socialists, with a majority in parliament, to legalise abortion.
The referendum campaign pitted the urban young against people from traditional rural areas and the Catholic Church.
Women who choose to abort will have to go through a compulsory medical appointment to be properly informed about the consequences of abortion.
The government hopes the new law will reduce an estimated 23,000 clandestine abortions every year.
Local media reported that at least nine regional hospitals in Portugal will not carry out abortions because doctors at the establishments refuse to carry out the operation.
In Europe, Malta, Ireland and Poland still have highly restrictive abortion laws.
