Hi, and welcome to Telefem! It’s so nice to meet you! If this is your first time here, we want to tell you that you’re in a safe space, full of trust. We are here to answer all your questions and provide you with trustworthy information regarding safe abortion in Mexico. Let me introduce you to one of our articles, and if you still have questions, feel free to contact us through WhatsApp!
This time, we want to describe to you the choices in Mexico to end an unplanned pregnancy safley. If you need more information, remember that we can guide you anytime.
Choosing a safe abortion: a valid decision for an unplanned pregnancy
Our quality of life depends on many things, and a very important part is our body autonomy, that is, the right to choose what we want to do with our body, protect it, care for it, and express ourselves through it as we wish. This involves living free from violence, without someone else making decisions for us.
Applied body autonomy to sexuality and sexual health means:1
- Being able to decide when, how, and with whom to have sex.
- Choosing whether we want to become mothers or not.
- Having the freedom to attend and receive medical care when we need it.
The reality is we need options to choose from. Can we call it freedom or autonomy if there is only one path? When pregnancy options are restricted—leaving only continuation as the legal or accessible choice—bodily autonomy and reproductive rights are compromised.2
That’s why abortion is an alternative that the childbearing person can take when going through an unplanned pregnancy. It is essential to say that making this choice does not make that person irresponsible or selfish, as social judgments and stereotypes suggest; on the contrary, deciding this requires gathering the needed information, considering the pros and cons, analyzing their life project and, with all this in mind, concluding according to what is best for their life.
Finding a safe space where your decisions are respected and not questioned is vital. If you wish to have a safe abortion, we, Telefem, a nonprofit organization, support you in your choice to be or not be a mother and connect you with specialists so that you can validate your rights and autonomy.
When abortion is considered a crime, it not only violates this right to autonomy, but it also means taking away options from childbearing people, sending the message that they are not considered capable enough to choose what is best for them.
That is why, when talking about safe abortion, it is also necessary to mention the different alternatives to do so.
1.- Unplanned pregnancy interruption at a clinic
An abortion process must be safe when performed by trained personnel using standardized techniques, appropriate medications, and adequate conditions adapted to the pregnancy weeks.3
One of the different alternatives is to go to clinics or health centers in states where abortion is legal.
There are two types of abortion procedures carried out in clinics:
- By medications
- Endouterine vacuuming
The process with medications is the use of pills, which can be started at the clinic and continued at home.
The vacuum procedure involves emptying the uterine contents using a plastic cannula connected to a vacuum source.4 This method is the most requested when going to clinics. Its effectiveness is 95 to 100%, and it is an outpatient method, recommended until 12 weeks of gestation. Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) is recommended for more advanced gestational ages, but it is a more specific and less standard procedure.
Going to clinics and centers requires an in-person process, from scheduling an appointment at private places or, if you do not have any resources, going to free centers early. You must review the protocols of each institution in your state so that the procedure is done as recommended.
In case you do not want to or cannot go to a clinic, or if abortion has not been legalized where you live, another option you have is at-home abortion.
2.- Interruption of an unplanned pregnancy from home
As mentioned before, pregnancy interruption with medications is possible and can be carried out at your home without necessarily going to a health center.
At-home abortion is also known as medicated abortion or medical abortion. It is most likely a spontaneous abortion, causing cramps and slight bleeding, more intense than a regular period. It’s the taking of pills, and its effectiveness is up to 98% in abortions up to 9 weeks of pregnancy, and its effectiveness decreases over time.5
Depending on the legislation, the safe abortion service can be provided by the state; in Mexico, it can be requested in some public health services, and some organizations provide medications and/or accompany the process.
Similarly, professionals remotely provide guidance and support in this process through collectives and nonprofit organizations such as Telefem.
Through remote medical guidance, Telefem can connect with specialists to receive this support and guidance procedure during the process, in addition to sending you a kit with everything you need.
Suppose you have doubts about the safety and reliability of telemedicine. In that case, I can tell you that the World Health Organization and the Federación Internacional de Ginecología y Obstretricia (FIGO) approve and promote the use of remote care as it helps cis women, trans men, and adolescents not to experience stigma and harassment in health services where judgment is also present. In addition to bringing access to abortion closer to those who live in remote communities.6
Found this helpful? For more on reproductive health and safe abortion, visit our blog—get all your questions answered. See you there!
You’re not alone
A safe abortion should never be done in uncertainty or isolation. Staying in communication with trained professionals makes all the difference. That’s why Telefem is here — to guide and support you from start to finish.
Send us a WhatsApp today — we’re ready to help.
* This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice.
References:
1. UNFPA. Mi cuerpo me pertenece. Reclamar el derecho a la autonomía y la autodeterminación. [Internet]. 2021. [Visit March 2025]. Available at: https://mexico.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/mi_cuerpo_me_pertenece-reclamar_el_derecho_a_la_autonomia_y_la_autodeterminacion.pdf
2. María del Pilar González Barreda. Aborto: miradas desde la autonomia sexual de las mujeres. En: González Luna AM, et al., coordinadoras. Pensar la justicia con perspectiva de género. 2023. p. 251-270. Available at: https://archivos.juridicas.unam.mx/www/bjv/libros/15/7096/13.pdf
3. SEGOB. Lineamiento Técnico para el aborto seguro en México. [Internet]. 2022. [Visit March 2025]. Available at: https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/779301/V2-FINAL_Interactivo_22NOV_22-Lineamiento_te_cnico_aborto.pdf
4. Méndez-Rodríguez R, et al. 2014. Aspiración Manual Endouterina. Revista Ciencias Biomédicas. 2014:148-155.
5. OMS. Aborto sin riesgos: guía técnica y de políticas para sistemas de salud. Segunda edición. [Internet]. 2012. [Visit March 2025]. Available at: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/77079/9789243548432_spa.pdf
6. FIGO. La FIGO respalda la adopción permanente de los servicios de aborto a travéss de la telemedicina. Declaración. [Internet]. 2021. [Visit March 2025]. Available at: https://www.figo.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/La%20FIGO%20respalda%20la%20adopcio%CC%81n%20permanente%20de%20los%20servicios%20de%20aborto%20a%20trave%CC%81s%20de%20la%20telemedicina.pdf