The Argentine Senate has approved a "dignified¹ death" law to give the terminally ill and their families more say in end-of-life decisions.

阿根廷参议院通过一项“有尊严地死”法案，给予病入膏肓的人和他们的家属关于终结生命方式更多的发言权。

The legislation means patients who are dying or suffering incurable² illness or injury can refuse treatment, if there is an existing signed consent form.

Until now, a court order was needed to end treatment or life support.

The Senate has also passed a law that allows people to change their gender³ officially without court approval.

Senators voted by 55-0 in favour of the "dignified death" law, with 17 abstentions. The measure had already passed the lower house and it now goes to President Cristina Fernandez to be signed into law.

All those present were at pains to stress that the legislation does not allow euthanasia.

"The aim is to respect the autonomous⁴ will of the patient," said Jose Cano, who heads the Senate's health commission.

Concern

Susana Bustamante, whose 19-year-old daughter Melina had pleaded to be allowed to die amid the pain from her degenerative（退化的，变质的） condition, welcomed the new law.

"You have to allow something natural like death. Death is not a dirty word, we've won it as a right," Ms Bustamante said.

Melina died last year shortly after making her public appeal.

Under the new legislation, a patient who is suffering a terminal illness or has an incurable condition can refuse treatment.

In cases where patients are unable to speak for themselves, the legislation empowers relatives or legal representatives to make the decision.

The main condition is that the patient or his representatives have signed a document setting out their wishes, before a notary⁵ and two witnesses.

During the debate, some senators expressed concern about ending life support to or withdrawing feeding tubes from a patient unable to communicate.

The Roman Catholic Church rejected the new legislation, arguing that life support should never be stopped.

Senators also used Wednesday's session to approve a gender rights law.

The legislation gives people the right to be officially recognised by the gender of their choosing, which may in some cases mean undergoing sex-change surgery.

People aged⁶ 18 and above will be able to have such an operation or hormone⁷ therapy without needing to apply to a judge.