The Mexican federal Health Ministry, along with institutions like ISSSTE, sparked a heated debate on social media after releasing an AI-generated video promoting the National Midwifery Strategy. The campaign aims to highlight a more humane model of care that supports natural birth and the right of pregnant people to be accompanied during labor.

The video’s message emphasizes that, in pregnancies without medical complications, midwifery supports the physiological process of pregnancy and birth, avoiding unnecessary interventions or surgeries. It also stresses that modern medicine and midwifery work together to provide safe and respectful care.

However, many users interpreted the campaign as an endorsement of home births, raising concerns about encouraging deliveries outside hospitals in a country where obstetric emergencies can arise even in low-risk pregnancies. This reaction overlooks that the policy does not propose replacing hospital care with home births. Instead, the National Midwifery Strategy seeks to integrate professional and traditional midwives into the National Health System to attend low-risk pregnancies, with clear protocols for immediate hospital referral if complications occur.

This approach builds on efforts from previous administrations and was recently reinforced by NOM-020-SSA-2025, which officially recognizes professional midwifery within the health system and establishes coordination mechanisms with hospitals and emergency services.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also supports strengthening midwifery-based care models for low-risk pregnancies, as long as they are integrated into a health system that guarantees specialized care and timely transfer in emergencies. WHO highlights that these models aim to reduce unnecessary interventions, not to eliminate hospital access when needed.

Despite this, the AI-generated video released recently has faced widespread criticism online, with some fearing it could be misinterpreted regarding the safest place to give birth. Others defend the campaign as a necessary step to raise awareness about the role of midwives in providing respectful, coordinated care for low-risk pregnancies within Mexico’s health system.

For migrants and diverse communities navigating healthcare options, this debate underscores the importance of clear communication and inclusive policies that respect bodily autonomy while ensuring safety through integrated medical support.