After going through all the trouble of wrasslin’ with the Catholic Church to make abortion a legal option, Mexico City is now grappling with how to make it available for even the poorest women so that they won’t have to resort to midwives, illegal clinics or other less-than-ideal options. The struggle, now, has become less about religion and more about economic classes:

Mexico City has ignored the philosophical battle, pushing ahead with plans that officials say will help them live up to the spirit of the law. “For the people with money, this was not a problem,” said Dr. Ahued, who sees the law as righting a wrong that put many poor women in jeopardy. “But for our people with no resources, what could they do? They went to clandestine clinics.”

After so many doctors refused to perform abortions, the city hired four new doctors to help handle the load at the 14 city hospitals where the city initially offered abortions. Now 35 doctors offer the procedure in city medical facilities.

Because the city determined its service was not fast enough, it has trained doctors to use abortion pills when possible and perform speedier surgical procedures.

Which might not always be in the best interest of the women being operated on. But what’s a uterus, anyway? They grow back or whatever. Another problem that has arisen within Mexico City is the lack of medical professionals who are willing and helpful when it comes to performing abortions:

Alejandra, 24, [Ed. note: No relation.] who works for the city’s women’s institute, said that when she went to get an abortion last year at a public hospital, a social worker there told her that she would need to pay for her own ultrasound, which is supposed to be free, and that she would need to be accompanied by a family member. Scared off by the description of the risks and the procedure, she fled the hospital.

She ended up taking pills to induce an abortion, without seeing a doctor, and developed a serious infection. She asked that only her first name be used because she said she recently received a death threat for speaking at a city event celebrating the new law

Which just goes to show abortion is more than the religious issue it’s often made out to be in debates. It’s also a matter of class, gender politics and culture among other things:

Mexico City Struggles With Law on Abortion [NY Times]