Context: Mexican abortion laws vary by state and are highly restrictive. Generally, abortions are not “punishable” in cases of rape or to save a woman’s life. Mexico’s newly-elected President, Vicente Fox, has publicly voiced his opposition to abortion, but has also claimed that he will listen to the public when considering abortion legislation.
Methods: In a nationally representative household survey, we asked 3000 Mexican men and women aged 15-65 about their knowledge and opinion of current and proposed abortion legislation. The sample was weighted to reflect the Mexican population in sex, age, rural/urban residence, and socioeconomic level. The survey’s margin of error was ±1.82%, with 95% confidence. Fieldwork ran from September to October 2000.
Results: Knowledge of current abortion laws was low, with nearly half thinking that abortion was unconditionally illegal. Regarding opinion, 32% in rural areas felt that abortion should never be legal, but 6% felt that abortion should be permitted on demand. In the cities, 17% opposed abortion under all circumstances, while 12% supported abortions on demand. All opposition softened in specific cases, such as rape. Participants felt strongly (95%) that they should be consulted on abortion laws, and nearly half (48%) felt women’s opinions should matter most in making abortion laws. Most also felt that public hospitals should have offer legal abortion services (80%) and that medical schools should train future doctors to perform abortions (66%).
Conclusions: These data may play a significant role in informing future public debates, and in shaping legislative decisions in Mexico.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to (1) describe the political and social context of legal and illegal abortion in Mexico, and its implications for Mexican women's health; (2) describe the major findings from a methodologically sound, and nationally representative survey on the Mexican public's knowledge and opinions of current and proposed abortion legislation, (3) articulate potential strategies for use of these data in shaping future abortion policies under the newly-elected Presidential adminstration.
Keywords: Abortion, Public Policy
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Not applicable
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.