Mexico has a federal system in which abortion law is determined at the state level. For a complete list of individual state abortion laws, we recommend you visit our Mexico country profile here.

According to the World Health Organization, unsafe abortion is a procedure for terminating an unintended pregnancy, carried out either by persons lacking the necessary skills and/or in an environment that does not conform to minimal medical standards. Unsafe abortion can lead to death or other reproductive health complications. Mexico has high numbers of unsafe abortions because of its criminalization outside Mexico City. Estimates suggest that between 1990-2013, 83% of women using unsafe abortion methods in Mexico ended up requiring hospitalization, and 53% died (Ipas México, 2013), most of whom were adolescents. Even though abortion is permitted under some circumstances in all states, very few women seek a legal abortion even when they meet the requirements. This situation is likely due to the profound stigma against abortion at the social level, a lack of knowledge by women and health providers of the legal criteria under which an abortion can be obtained, and the absence of sufficient state-level mechanisms to allow women who legally qualify to actually obtain an abortion.

In the spirit of protecting vulnerable women from unsafe abortion providers, especially during the COVID-19 times, our team has collected a list of three main considerations that we need to observe before settling for an abortion provider in Mexico.

  • Do not accept abortion service from an “abortion service provider” whose only credential is a mobile number and the “medical practitioner” is happy to meet you at any location that you suggest for a consultation. A valid service provider should have searchable addresses and details that can be easily confirmed with the public health offices. More importantly, they need to be a registered health professional.
    Other sources that can provide safe abortions in Mexico:

    • Medical Doctors
    • Medical Practitioners
    • Gynaecologists
    • Midwives
    • Nurses

    Facilities like Marie Stopes Mexico run nine centres – eight in the Mexico City and Metropolitan area and one in Chiapas. Their clinical outreach program can be especially useful during the COVID-19 crisis.

  • Like we mentioned in our previous blog on safe abortion access in South Africa, safe abortion clinics will not operate in an unsanitary and unsafe area. Trust your eyes and your instincts. Public hospitals are well known and you cannot go wrong with them.

    Other institutions and places that provide access to safe abortions are:

    • Public hospitals
    • Private clinics
    • Private sanatorium
    • Private practices of a registered health professional
    • Specialized private sexual and reproductive health facilities
  • Do not fall prey to fake doctors. This could potentially be harmful to your health. They are not keen on conducting proper consultations and will use methods that may end up causing serious injuries or death. In case you are under 11 weeks of pregnancy and looking to receive medical abortion services, we recommend that you read through our website. At HowToUseAbortionPill we explain how medical abortion works, what to know beforehand, how it’s done safely, and what to expect afterwards. You can read all of that information on our site here. Our chatbot is also available 24/7 to respond to any questions you may have.

Who can I contact for additional abortion information and support in Mexico?

For more information, you can reach us through our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts or write to us on info@howtouseabortionpill.org