8/6/2019 Abortion in Mexico

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Abortion in Mexico

Abortion is a controversial issue in Mexico, where it is offered on request to anywoman up to twelve weeks into a pregnancy in Mexico City, but forbidden in 18 out of31 Mexican state constitutions.[1] As of 19 January 2011 (2011 -01-19)[update], 52,484interruptions have been carried out in the capital city since its decriminalization (2007)[1]

but more than a dozen women haven been sentenced to up to 30 years in prison inconservative-leaning states such as Guanajuato.[2]

In Mexico, abortion proceedings fall under local state legislation, as a landmarkSupreme Court decision in 2008 found no legal impediment to it in the federalConstitution and stated that, "to affirm that there is an absolute constitutional protectionof life in gestation would lead to the violation of the fundamental rights of women".[3]

All states' penal codes permit abortions in cases of rape, and all but Guanajuato,Guerrero and Quertaro's permit it to save the mother's life; fourteen out of thirty-oneexpand these cases to include severe fetal deformities; and the state ofYucatn includeseconomic factors when the mother has previously bore three or more children.[4]

Nevertheless, according to Jo Tuckman ofThe Guardian, in practice almost no stateprovides access to abortions in the cases listed, but neither do they prosecute the doctorswho offer safe illegal abortions nor the cheaper life-threatening backstreet practitioners.[5]

There are, however, some exceptions. Since 2007 Mexico Citywhere approximately7.87% of the national population lives[6] offers abortion on request to any woman upto 12 weeks into a pregnancy[7] which, along Cuba's, is one of the most liberallegislations on this matter in Latin America.[5] In contrast, recent political lobbying on

behalf of the dominantRoman Catholic Church andpro-life organizations has resultedin the amendment of more than half of the state constitutions, which now define afertilized human egg as a person with a right to legal protection. [8] As of 15 October2009 (2009 -10-15)[update], none of those states has removed its exceptions to abortion toreflect the changes in its constitution, [4] but according to Human Rights Watch and alocalNGO, over the past eight years the conservative-leaning state of Guanajuato "hasdenied every petition by a pregnant rape victim for abortion services" and about 130 ofits residents have been sentenced for seeking or providing illegal abortion.[9][10]

Demographics and public opinion

A 2008 study funded by the National Population Council (CONAPO), El Colegio deMxico and the Guttmacher Institute estimated 880,000 abortions carried out annually,with an average of 33 abortions a year for every 1,000 women between the ages of 15and 44.[11] However, such studies are speculative as abortion is highly restricted andreliable data is not readily available with some estimates ranging as low as 297,000abortions per year.[12]

As of 19 January 2011 (2011 -01-19)[update], 52,484 interruptions have been carried inMexico City since its decriminalization (2007),[1] where some 85 percent of the

gynecologists in the citys public hospitals have declared themselves conscientiousobjectors.[13] Among the petitioners, 78% were local residents, 21% were living out-of-state and 1% were foreigners from countries such as Germany, Argentinaand Canada.[1]

As for their age, 0.6% were between 11 and 14, 47.6% were between 18 and 24, 22%between 25 and 29, 13% between 30 and 34 and 2.7% between 40 and 44 years old.More than half were single.

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