Public opinion about abortion-related stigma among Mexican Catholics and implications for unsafe abortion

A nationally representative survey was conducted among 3000 Catholics in Mexico during 2009 and 2010. Respondents were presented with a hypothetical situation about a young woman who decided to have an abortion and were asked their personal opinion of her. On the basis of a stigma index, it was found that the majority (61%) had stigmatizing attitudes about abortion; however, 81% believed that abortion should be legal in at least some circumstances. Respondents were significantly more likely to stigmatize abortion if they disagreed with the Mexico City law legalizing the procedure (odds ratio 1.66; 95% CI, 1.30–2.11) and believed that abortion should be prohibited in all cases (odds ratio 3.13; 95% CI, 2.28–4.30). Such stigma can lead women to seek unsafe abortions to avoid judgment by society.