Abortion could soon be legal throughout Mexico

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development , Mexico occupies the number one position in regards to teenage pregnancies , therefore, the ruling party Morena announced that it will fight to decriminalize abortion before the 12th week throughout the country. This initiative would block local legislations in the states, where it is mostly banned or have yet to discuss the matter, except Mexico City and Oaxaca , where abortion is legal .

One of the most interesting aspects of this initiative is that it proposes the professionalization of abortion so that there is specialized personnel in every clinic and hospital in the country, in order to guarantee safe procedures.

It was revealed that in Mexico City , over one-fourth of legal abortions are performed on women who come from other cities. Therefore, it is necessary to approve this law in other states, so that women have access to s afe abortion procedures .

Furthermore, numbers from 2016 are alarming. According to a report from the National Population Council (Conapo) , every day, at least 32 girls between 10 and 14 years old gave birth .

Nevertheless, the initiative is also controversial because it looks to punish parents and doctors if an abortion is performed after the 12th week because according to the proposal, women could be sentenced to prison or up to 300 days of community service . Doctors who perform abortions after the 12th week will also be punished even when the patients agreed to the procedure but it will increase if it is performed against the patient's will with up to six years in jail and will increase to 8 years if the doctor used moral or physical force.

After abortion was ignored for years, it is important to emphasize that this initiative could be approved throughout the country, in order to benefit all Mexican women . This way, women will have access to safe procedures and will receive the government's support to make important decisions about their bodies .

How much does an abortion cost in Mexico?

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