Mexico City abortions now legal

A measure legalizing first-trimester abortions in Mexico City was published into law Thursday, and City Health Secretary Manuel Mondragon said the procedure would be legal starting today for women nearing the 12-week limit.

Women whose pregnancies are less advanced must wait until the law’s regulations are published, a move that is expected next week.

Mondragon also said that except in cases of medical emergency, women seeking abortions would have to prove residency in the capital -- addressing the widespread belief that the law would make the city of more than 8 million a magnet for women throughout Mexico seeking abortions.

Girls younger than 18 will need parental consent. The law also allows gynecologists to refuse to perform abortions.

The procedure will be free and available at 14 of the 28 city hospitals. Mondragon said each facility would be able to perform seven abortions a day. Officials said it was not immediately clear whether private hospitals would be required to offer abortions.

The law, backed by Mexico City’s leftist government, is historic in a region with a large Roman Catholic majority.

The country’s leading antiabortion rights group has said it might block entry to clinics performing abortions and might publicly identify doctors who perform the procedure.

President Felipe Calderon’s conservative National Action Party plans to challenge the law before the Supreme Court, which could suspend the measure until it issues a ruling.