Over a year after Mexico City legalized abortion, women may still find it difficult to abort during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Eighty-five percent of doctors in the city’s public hospitals have declared themselves conscientious objectors and the medical costs are high.
The controversial move to legalize abortion has been challenged in the Supreme Court and upheld. Ninety percent of Mexico’s population is Catholic.
Martin Savidge travels to populous Mexico City, where the abortion debate rages on.
Below, bloggers in Mexico and elsewhere voice their support or opposition to the city’s legalization of abortion — a rarity in Latin American countries.
Reverend Thomas Euteneuer of Human Life International writes about his organization’s trip to Mexico, where they prayed in front of an abortion clinic. He calls Mexico City’s law “cruel and inhumane.”
The “Guanabee” blog argues that abortion is much more than a religious issue, writing that it also involves class, gender politics and culture issues.
“The Unapologetic Mexican” blog writes that media coverage of the legalization was biased and virtually ignored women’s voices, but calls the new law “a good start.”
The “South Chicagoan” blog writes that Mexico City’s decision to provide free Viagra to elderly men reflects gender bias when it comes to sexuality, since it is still so difficult to get an abortion.
The “Ciudad de Mexico” blog (in Spanish) wonders why Mexico City’s legislators did not engage in public debate on the issue prior to the legalization. (See Google’s English translation of the entry)
Blogger “Jo Tuckman” writes that it is amazing how far Mexico has come in such a short period of time.
For more on the abortion debate in Latin American countries, see what a Worldfocus contributing blogger had to say about the Urguayan president’s veto of a bill that would have legalized abortion in that country.
Photo courtesy of Flickr user emilyjmc06 under a Creative Commons license.
11/20/2008 :: 11:21:30 PM
Madelyn Molina Says:
I am woman of faith, a follower of Christ, and one who fears the wrath of God. I am also a 17 year old high school student enrolled in college level biology. God, in His commandments says “Thou shall not murder.” Science defines the basic unit of life as a cell. When sperm fertilizes an egg, the result is a living, growing blastula of cells. Even plant “babies” are considered life from the moment of plant conception. How can terminating a pregnancy be legal? It’s murder! Supporters of abortion talk about a mother’s right to choose…what about the baby’s fundamental right to life? What about the right to be born? All you feminists out there, you may think you have control over your bodies…but you cannot control the growing body inside your own…From the moment of conception, you have no control over the growing dividing cells being fed by your endometrium!
As for the woman at the clinic…may God open her eyes! Whatever her convictions ARE, I can assure you that they are not from God. And just remember, YOU’RE mother carried YOU to term…