Women and Change at the U.S.-Mexico Border Chapter 4: Abortion in a Transborder Context By: Norma Ojeda

Views on abortion Mexico vs. the U.S.:

· Is a legally prosecutable crime in Mexico while in the states is the voluntary interruption of pregnancy, which is a constitutional right, although access is limited.
· Abortion in Mexico shall not be punishable if..
1. A negligent abortion: (forced) –that is, when it is the result of negligent conduct by the pregnant woman.
2. An abortion where the pregnancy is the result of a rape… carried out against the woman’s will, as long as its perform within the first 90 days of gestation and a complaint regarding the act has been filed.
3. A therapeutic abortion
-----Notwithstanding these exceptions, the legal practice of abortion is very limited for social, cultural and even political reasons.

· The U.S.-Mexico border creates that social space in which females from Mexico are able to cross over into the states to seek various health-care services one big one being abortion.
· It’s a space of opportunity for them. However it is only the privileged and segment women of the Mexican population are able to receive those services.
· Those that do cross over are the ones with visa or passport. This is how we see that social class also plays a huge role, it discriminates those others based on class differences.
· In contrast US residents cross over to the Mexico side to receive health treatment as well but this includes dental and eye care.


Border Culture Influence’s women’s everyday lives…..
· Their gender
· Sexuality and reproduction
· As well as the choices they make in that regard
The Transborder Context: San Diego-Tijuana
· “ Border culture is seen as a particular cultural system that takes shape emerges in a specific geographic and social context ant that acquires its own identity. Women at the border are exposed to the coexistence of various gender and family systems that are interwoven into a unique culture that is the “border culture” and that combines cultural elements of both societies in a hybrid manner, without replicating one another.” (Pg. 55)

Findings : Diverse Patterns of Abortion among Border Women
Overall, Hispanic border women most assimilated to American society show the youngest age structure of abortion.
While for the Spanish-speaking community females are most likely to get an abortion as they grow older. The highest age group of abortion within these females is 30+.

Overall it is seen that all females fall in the age of 20-24 is the age gap that they have their first pregnancy. (Hispanic women fall among the largest)

Emotions/opinions towards abortion seem to be that within all females (all ethnicities) to be a solution to a problem.

Motives for abortion were huge fact for the females we see that Hispanic Spanish-speaking women they do not want to have more children and it’s a couples decision, abortion is their only option (he doesn’t want the baby; doesn’t have a partner; economic problems) also they believe they are too young and do not want that responsibility as well as having health problems, which in the case of English speaking Hispanics and non-Hispanics was the greatest reason.

Plans after abortion..it is seen that the Spanish speaking Hispanic females do not even think about it or just get over it themselves, yet both Hispanic English speaking and non-Hispanics see methods such as talking and leaning on their love ones.