Women should think before getting pregnant, said a Puebla lawmaker this week to express his opposition to legislation that would reduce criminal penalties for women who procure abortions.

In an internet talk show interview Héctor Alonso Granados said he opposes legalizing abortion because he thinks women should have to take responsibility for their pregnancies.

“You have to think before spreading your legs and getting pregnant,” said the Morena party deputy. “Why should the government have to deal with an act of irresponsible sex?”

A bill to ease criminal penalties for women who obtain abortions was introduced on Monday by Institutional Revolutionary Party Deputy Rocío García Olmedo.

Currently, women convicted of procuring abortions or allowing others to perform abortions on them can be jailed for six to 12 months. The proposed legislation would reduce the jail time to between three and six months, and also give convicted women the option of performing 100 to 300 days of community service.

According to Periódico Central, García’s initiative has the support of seven Puebla deputies, including four from Morena and two independents. The bill would need the support of 15 more deputies to become law.

Cristina Tello Rosas, another Morena deputy in Puebla who has been outspoken in her opposition to decriminalizing abortion, is considering whether she will vote for the García bill. In an interview with Sin Embargo, Tello called moves towards the legalization of abortion a “fashion” and said she will consult specialists before making a decision.

“It shouldn’t be a personal decision,” she said. “I’m planning a campaign in my district so I can get help and find out what we really need . . . It will be a campaign with specialists, and I won’t make my decision based on following fashions, as many are doing.”

Source: SinEmbargo (sp), E-Consulta (sp), Periódico Central (sp)