Abortion Law in Mexico: The Demonization Continues

Abortions have been banned from criminal prosecution in Mexico for a few weeks now. But the women concerned are of little use to the decision of the highest court: incitement and discrimination continue.

Abortion was legalized. We use it to kill the children who disturb us. The children cannot defend themselves against it. Why don’t we kill the mother? Nor will it be of any use to society. A woman who has had an abortion and who may never have children as a result, is of no use anymore

This is how the priest Lázaro Hernández rushed during a service in front of his congregation in Coahuila. Shortly before, the Mexican Supreme Court ruled that abortion was no longer a crime. Although the ruling was only about one paragraph in the northern state of Coahuila, the ruling has an impact on case law across the country.

This makes Mexico the most populous country with a Catholic majority in which abortion is decriminalized. According to this, abortions in the early stages of pregnancy, rape, endangering the health of the pregnant woman or an incapable of living fetus may not be made a criminal offense. That’s why they are still not legal in 28 states.

In addition, a law has been overturned that allows medical personnel to refuse abortion on the basis of conscience. That is an important signal, but only a first step.

Instructions are one thing

Statements like the priest’s are no exception, says Luz María Reyes, a women’s rights attorney from Veracruz, one of the four states where abortion is legal wants to have an abortion, has to get it. But one thing is the order. The discrimination against women who want to have an abortion continues. “

As a result, many women continue to expose themselves to great dangers if they attempt an abortion under dubious conditions. There is still a lack of specialist knowledge among medical staff. The women’s rights lawyer explains that the prerequisites for an abortion in the clinics are far from being met. “Even if it is now possible in public hospitals, the wrong doses of medication are often still being administered, and the women are again victims.”

Support via chat

Arlette would like to remedy the situation. She and her colleague Alejandra receive messages from desperate women who have accidentally become pregnant. The two of them prefer not to give their full names. They accompany those affected who want to carry out an abortion with medication up to the 12th week, reports Arlette:

The women contact us through social networks. They also receive a telephone number. You write us a message. We then open a Whatsapp group with two companions and work out a plan according to their needs – depending on what month they are in. The prerequisite is that you present us with an ultrasound.

The women take over-the-counter medication. One of them is misoprostol, which is actually used for stomach ulcers. Misoprostol can also cause pregnancy to end, expelling the fetus. The dosage is based on a recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO). They stay in contact with the women for up to ten days, says Alejandra. “We accompany them until we are sure that there are no more residues in the body. Then we break up the Whatsapp group.”

Low risk with drug termination

Many women are naturally insecure. This is precisely why close contact with the companions is very important. You ask them for photos and videos. Some of the women reacted very strongly to the medication, which scared them. They would develop a fever and chills. “They are then frightened and go to the hospital. We tell them not to go. There they will give you medication so that the fetus can be preserved.” Until a few months ago, they also ran the risk of being criminalized. In Veracruz, abortion was not legalized until July this year.

A termination with the help of medication works 95 to 98 percent, the risk is low. The companions explain to the women in advance what to do if they bleed excessively. Alejandra and Arlette receive regular training – including in a clinic where abortions are carried out. They do all of this on a voluntary basis.

Precisely because the subject of abortion is still a social taboo in Mexico, many women have a great need to talk, says Arlette. “They tell us their full story, that they were raped, that their husband abused them.” There were women not only from all over Mexico, but also from El Salvador, Colombia – from countries where the law on abortion is even stricter. Since 2019, Arlette, Alejandra and other companions have guided around 80 women through abortion.

There is a lack of education in the classroom

Inspired by women in Argentina, an offshoot of the “Marea Verde” – “Green Wave” movement has also been founded in Mexico. The women, who wear green scarves during protests, advocate safe and free abortion, sex education in schools and access to contraceptives.

Arelette criticizes that there is a lack of education in school lessons. “In the sixth grade you have to look after an egg for a month. It mustn’t break. That’s how sexual education works here.” Arlette and Alejandra also offer educational workshops for young women. But it will take some time before the work of the companions during abortions is superfluous.