One year later, legal abortion is saving lives in Mexico

It's been one year since Mexico City legalized abortion up to 12 weeks and required public hospitals to provide them for free, and so far, at least a dozen women's lives have been saved.

According to the Health Secretariat more than 96.9% of the abortions in the last year have been performed without complications. Only one death occurred due to medical malpractice, in which case the doctor responsible was suspended. Raffaela Schiavon highlights the fact that "overall maternal mortality has significantly decreased (14 deaths less than in 2006), and that there has been a clear decline of mortality due to abortion (only one death compared to an average between 8 and 10 per year in the last decade).

(Emphasis mine.) And contrary to the predictions of anti-choicers, women have not flocked to Mexico City from all over the country for abortions: 78% of the patients lived in Mexico City. There are likely thousands more Mexican women who can not afford to travel to Mexico City for abortions, and must still rely on clandestine/do-it-yourself procedures. Imagine how many more lives could be saved if abortion was legalized throughout Mexico.