English

How much does an abortion cost in Mexico?

World Health Organization estimates that each year, 1.5 million abortions are performed in Mexico

Since 2007, abortion has been legal in Mexico City- Photo: File Photo/EL UNIVERSAL
07/03/2019 |14:49
Redacción El Universal
Pendiente este autorVer perfil

In 2007, Mexico City passed a bill to make abortion legal until the 12th week . Since then, the World Health Organization estimates that each year, 1.5 million abortions are performed.

Mexico City 

was the first state to legalize abortion, nevertheless, it is a legal procedure with a lot of restrictions in states.

Newsletter
Recibe en tu correo las noticias más destacadas para viajar, trabajar y vivir en EU

The price depends on different factors; the state where you reside in, how far along are you into the pregnancy , and they type of procedure you choose. Nevertheless, the cost is between MXN $1,500 and MXN $10,000.

Mexico City's law

Since 2007 , abortion until the 12th week is legal in the city. The pregnancy must be the result of an unwanted insemination, rape , or incest or after it was approved by doctors for the following reasons:

- The pregnancy risks the mother's physical or mental health

- The fetus has physical or mental anomalies

Abortion options

Medical abortion

with drugs : mifepristone, misoprostol, Cytotec

A first dose is taken at the clinic and another one is taken at home. It is similar to spontaneous abortion and it can take place at home.

Its effectiveness is of 98% . You will feel severe period pains and bleed. Side effects include sickness, vomit, chills, fever, or diarrhea.

The process can last up to 14 days and once it's over, doctors will carry out a pregnancy test to confirm the abortion was successful.

The main disadvantage is that these drugs have a lower chance of success if it is an early pregnancy.

Manual vacuum aspiration

The procedure lasts between 10 and 15 minutes and you can leave the clinic after the procedure is done. Doctors can provide analgesics or anesthesia to diminish the pain.

It is 98% effective and it's not a curettage , therefore, it is not as invasive. It is done with a manual vacuum aspirator . You might feel some cramps.

The procedure's biggest advantage is that the doctor can confirm its success immediately.

Curettage

The curettage the procedure with the highest risk, such as uterine perforation as a result of the tools used. Therefore, the World Health Organization doesn't recommend this to interrupt a pregnancy . Nevertheless, it can be used when the vacuum didn't remove the fetus completely.

The curettage is performed when there are tissue remains left inside the uterus , the product of an incomplete abortion , a spontaneous abortion , or when there are placenta remains after a birth . The technique is similar to vacuum aspiration but at the end, the doctor scrapes the uterine walls to make sure there are no remains of the fetus inside the uterus .

Post-abortion care

The majority of clinics, whether private or public, offer contraceptive methods to prevent pregnancies in the future. The patient will also have check-ups despite the method she chose.

Where can I get an abortion?

Private hospitals, public hospitals, private clinics

, and clinics such as Marie Stopes.

How much is an abortion?

For example, in Marie Stope s the prices are:

- Pregnancy termination with drugs : from MXN $1,950

- Manual vacuum aspiration with analgesic : from MXN $2,950

- Manual vacuum aspiration with anesthesia : from MXN $5,900

Mexico has a high insecure abortion rate because it is criminalized outside Mexico City, fortunately, nowadays there are many options to prevent and terminate a pregnancy safely.

gm