La Jornada - IMSS of Colima attends the first case of legal interruption of pregnancy

Colima, Col. An 18-year-old woman became the first case in the entity of legal and voluntary interruption of pregnancy before 12 weeks of gestation, after the Colima congress approved a modification to the penal code to allow it.

The Twitter account of the organization "Collective Decide" revealed the fact in which the young woman went to the maternal and child hospital of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) to interrupt her pregnancy.

According to this organization, the young woman was later channeled to the Regional University Hospital of the city of Colima where she was given medication and completed the abortion process.

The woman was reported to be in good health after the procedure.

On December 1, with a majority of Morena, the Congress of Colima approved various provisions to the Penal Code of the State of Colima to legalize the interruption of pregnancy up to 12 weeks of gestation.

@gilliangodsell @MarianneValen20 Afterthoughts: Have a friend send you a Zoom invitation for a specific time. It's me… https://t.co/nL3bnFTLk0

— Clive Simpkins ☸️✝️🕉️✡️☪️ Thu Sep 24 05:01:28 +0000 2020

In an ordinary session, where organizations in defense of women's rights and Pro-life groups gathered, the legislators approved, with 14 votes in favor of 25 deputies, amending the law and adding a sixth cause to prevent abortion from being punishable.

The current legislation, which dates back to 1984, allows the crime of abortion not to be punishable when "it is negligently caused by the woman or pregnant person", also if "the pregnancy is the result of rape or non-consensual artificial insemination, regardless whether or not there is a criminal case on these crimes.”

Another current cause for abortion not to be punishable is "when, if the abortion is not induced, the woman or pregnant person is in danger of death or serious damage to her health in the opinion of the attending physician."

The two added, approved grounds are "When an authority had previously denied the possibility of interrupting her pregnancy within the first twelve weeks of gestation" and "when, in the provision of services contemplated in the Health Law, the medical or nursing staff had failed to inform the pregnant person correctly and in a timely manner of her right to terminate her pregnancy legally and safely during the first twelve weeks of gestation.”