More than eight months after the State Congress approved the decriminalization of abortion in Chiapas, members of feminist collectives pointed out that limitations on access to this right persist, especially in the state capital. Currently, only six public hospitals offer the service.
“Right now, we have six hospitals that provide this service: Berriozábal, Pichucalco, Tapachula, Palenque, Salto de Agua, and San Cristóbal,” explained Belén Millanes, a member of the Red Aborta Libre Chiapas collective. However, she specified that in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital, there is still no public hospital that performs the procedure, which creates complications for those seeking to exercise their right in the city.
On November 26, 2024, Chiapas became the 13th state in Mexico to decriminalize abortion up to 12 weeks of gestation. Since then, according to data from the Aborta Libre Chiapas Network and the Network for Reproductive Justice, between November 2024 and July 2025, 222 cases have been assisted, of which 198 correspond to women from Chiapas and 22 to users from other states.
Of these cases, 60% were concentrated in Tuxtla and Tapachula, 25% in Comitán and San Cristóbal, and 15% in other municipalities. Additionally, the collective’s social media received 186 requests for information on abortion during the same period.
“In the last six months, we have assisted 222 users. 60% of the cases are concentrated in Tuxtla and Tapachula,” Millanes explained.
Abortion Decriminalization Chiapas Health Hospitals
A forum will be held at UNACH in September prior to the Global Day of Action for Safe Abortion – Thiaré García/El Heraldo de Chiapas
Despite the current legal framework, the interviewees noted that medical practices that hinder access persist. One documented case was at the Berriozábal hospital, where a patient was required to undergo “unnecessary” tests and denied the use of medications recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“The patient requested access to manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) from the beginning, but they refused to allow it. First, they made her go through the full misoprostol regimen, with vomiting, pain, and bleeding, and then they subjected her to the MVA. We see it more as a punishment,” denounced Cecilia Rodríguez, also a member of the Network.
In response to these challenges, an inter-institutional roundtable on safe abortion was recently established, promoted by local representatives and involving the Ministry of Health and the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS-Bienestar).
“We seek to coordinate information and opportunities, because this is not an issue for one or two institutions. We need more to join in, such as the Attorney General’s Office and the DIF,” added Rodríguez.
The collectives announced that a forum will be held in September at the University of Sciences and Arts of Chiapas (UNICACH), prior to the Global Day of Action for Safe Abortion (September 28), with the goal of disseminating information and reducing social stigma.
“Healthcare personnel often bring their own stigmas to the table when providing services. That is what we want to eradicate: abortion must be a dignified, honest, and humane process,” Millanes emphasized.
With the 2024 reform, Chiapas joined states such as Oaxaca, Hidalgo, Veracruz, and Mexico City, where abortion is now legal up to 12 weeks. According to figures from the National Center for Gender Equity and Reproductive Health, more than 80,000 safe abortions have been performed in states where abortion is legal since 2007.
In Chiapas, organizations consider the legislative advances to be an important step, but insist that the challenge lies in its actual implementation and the dignified treatment of women and pregnant people.
Source: oem
