Abortion Myths

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Partial decriminalization ends criminalization: FALSE

Even under the partial decriminalization of abortion (through a grounds-based regime and time limits), people who have abortions and those who assist them continue to be reported to authorities and stigmatized. The criminalization of this health service has meant that case files continue to be opened against women and other people with the capacity to gestate based on suspicion of abortion. Even if this does not result in conviction, the stigma and physical, financial, and emotional toll of this process is in itself a burden for those under investigation, affecting their life plans.

In many cases, prosecutorial and health authorities who lack knowledge of the regulatory framework obstruct access to abortion services and report women and other pregnant people who decide to terminate a pregnancy or who experience obstetric emergencies. As a result, those who are reported must face the criminal justice system after having already endured a lack of access to quality abortion services and accurate and timely information based on scientific evidence and free from stigma and stereotypes—among other barriers to the exercise of their human rights.

For example, despite the fact that voluntary abortion had already been decriminalized in Mexico City up to the twelfth week of pregnancy, between 2012 and 2020 the city recorded the highest number of reports nationwide (1028) for the crime of abortion. This not only stigmatized the people reported but also generated an unnecessary workload for the justice system. Since 2015, Mexico City has also led the way in the number of case files and pre-trial investigations related to abortion.

Files and Pre-trial Investigations for the Crime of Abortion in the 32 Federal Entities

Federal Entity

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

April 2026

Aguascalientes

5

7

4

7

10

5

14

13

10

7

9

5

Baja California

53

43

73

63

57

39

34

42

38

41

65

35

Baja California Sur

3

3

14

16

12

10

14

3

8

10

8

6

Campeche

1

1

2

1

0

0

1

5

3

0

0

0

Coahuila

3

2

3

9

2

2

4

2

2

0

2

0

Colima

0

0

5

0

4

4

0

5

1

2

6

0

Chiapas

20

22

11

15

11

10

9

3

0

6

5

2

Chihuahua

8

13

13

10

8

9

6

10

11

7

5

0

Ciudad de México

131

115

84

110

132

79

102

192

181

187

244

111

Durango

2

5

1

6

1

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

Guanajuato

22

27

28

30

24

31

23

24

18

22

20

18

Guerrero

2

5

2

4

10

4

5

6

1

5

3

0

Hidalgo

24

7

11

18

15

23

19

18

12

9

12

6

Jalisco

23

31

29

17

5

13

11

6

11

21

10

5

México

71

66

72

107

155

145

149

144

156

108

139

117

Michoacán

9

11

11

5

17

11

18

31

21

13

14

13

Morelos

12

16

22

4

12

13

10

10

3

9

12

7

Nayarit

0

0

0

0

0

1

3

3

4

1

1

0

Nuevo León

58

47

28

38

84

100

119

144

141

175

218

84

Oaxaca

0

16

15

16

16

9

8

13

16

13

16

5

Puebla

7

13

9

5

4

6

5

1

2

6

5

3

Querétaro

5

10

12

14

22

28

37

39

37

29

0

0

Quintana Roo

6

3

5

4

13

12

5

4

4

7

7

6

San Luis Potosí

5

8

7

10

7

9

9

9

12

12

15

6

Sinaloa

9

9

9

9

9

4

8

6

0

0

0

0

Sonora

3

4

2

7

3

5

11

6

9

5

7

5

Tabasco

1

3

3

2

2

2

5

8

10

3

2

1

Tamaulipas

25

33

32

46

45

34

44

40

48

69

47

23

Tlaxcala

4

4

4

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Veracruz

15

29

33

28

36

22

24

26

40

11

13

4

Yucatán

15

8

0

0

0

0

0

1

2

1

0

0

Zacatecas

2

1

1

4

0

3

6

3

9

6

5

4

Source: Created by GIRE using crime incidence data from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public
Security System (SESNSP, for its Spanish initials) / Download the data here.

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