This brings us to the Philippine abortion laws, which are among the strictest in the world. Abortion is illegal in all circumstances. There are also no explicit exceptions to allow abortion in cases of rape, incest or fetal malformation. The Penal Code considers abortion a criminal offense punishable by up to six years in prison for doctors and midwives who perform abortions and from 2 to 20126 years in prison for women who undergo the procedure, regardless of the reason. A separate set of laws under the Midwifery Act, the Medical Act and the Pharmaceutical Act allows for the revocation or suspension of the licenses of practitioners who perform abortions or offer abortifacients. Although therapeutic abortion is recognized as legal in the Philippines, the problem is the pervasive lack of information and judgment about women who induce abortion, so the decriminalization of abortion is an important step towards eliminating discrimination against women and women`s access to reproductive health services, as abortion is highly stigmatized. • Poor, rural and young women are particularly vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion. Abortion pills are not legally sold in the Philippines. There are various reports of unapproved medical abortion pills on the market that are sold without a prescription. Please note that these unauthorized sellers do not always provide proper instructions on eligibility, dosage, and use of medicated abortion pills.

Misuse of abortion pills can contribute to unsafe abortion and put your health and life at risk. The mother of four hid her abortion from her husband and family because she knew they would never allow it. • According to the 2004 National Abortion Study, an estimated 22 per cent of poor Filipino women have used a catheter or high abdominal pressure when attempting an abortion, while no non-poor woman has used such methods. In addition, poor women were much less likely to use safer methods such as dilation and curettage or manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) than non-poor women (13% versus 55%). But the most relevant example might be a country whose religious and political history is closely linked to the United States. In the Philippines, a former American colony, abortion has been completely banned for more than a century. Philippine law imposes prison sentences of up to six years for people who have had abortions and anyone who assists in the proceedings. Arrests and convictions of women and abortion providers are frequently reported in local media, and UN committees repeatedly claim that banning abortion disproportionately harms socio-economically disadvantaged women and members of other vulnerable groups. In practice, abortion is allowed in cases where the life of the pregnant person is in danger, but there is no law explicitly stating this. Many of the hundreds of thousands of Filipino women who have unwanted pregnancies each year face a stark choice: either give birth to a child for whom they are unprepared or unable to care for, or undergo a clandestine and often unsafe abortion. Because abortion is highly stigmatized and punishable, it is extremely difficult to directly estimate the number of abortions in the Philippines, as women and providers are unlikely to report the procedure. Among all women surveyed, economic reasons and being single or too young were cited as the main reasons why women had abortions, showing that many Filipino women who have not had an abortion understand why other women choose one.21 This sense of jubilation was also felt in the Philippines, where the Catholic Church wields a lot of power and influence.

Local church leaders and groups that publicly condemn abortion, divorce and the use of modern contraceptives welcomed the Supreme Court`s decision. 24. Gipson J et al., Perceptions and practices of illegal abortion among urban young adults in the Philippines: a qualitative study, Studies in Family Planning, 2011, 42(4):261-272. In an interview in early January, then-presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. shared his views on abortion, saying he would legalize it for “severe cases.” According to the 2004 National Abortion Study, most women who have abortions do so in the first trimester, but a significant proportion – nearly one in four – do not terminate their pregnancy until later, when the risk is higher.4,23 A higher percentage of poor women than non-poor women had abortions after the first trimester. This could be due to unsuccessful or ineffective attempts. ending the pregnancy, or the inability to raise the money to pay for the procedure. Surgical methods considered relatively safe and effective (if performed by a qualified provider) are often expensive, and poor women may resort to dangerous, painful or ineffective remedies (Figure 2). Particularly dangerous methods include inserting a catheter or other object into the uterus, which often causes infection and perforation, and high abdominal pressure or “massage” to expel a fetus that a traditional practitioner (helot) can administer.4,10,23 An estimated 22% of poor women have used a massage or catheter in an abortion attempt.

while no non-poor woman has used such methods. In addition, poor women were much less likely to use safer methods such as D&C or MVA than non-poor women (13% vs. 55%).4 A study conducted by PINSAN in 2020 found that 1.26 million abortions were performed in the country, which “endangers the lives and health of Filipino women.” Another study by the University of the Philippines estimates that 1.1 million abortions take place in the country each year. 31. Cansino C et al., Physicians` approaches to post-abortion care in Manila, Philippines, International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2010, 109(3): 216-218. In 2016, the Ministry of Health issued an Administrative Decree (AO) for the prevention and treatment of abortion complications (DOH AO No. 2016-0041). The objective of this policy is to provide safe post-abortion services in private and public health facilities and to improve quality. This AOP was signed on November 25, 2016. Besides AO, other laws that require safe follow-up after abortion include: Republic Act (RA) 9710, Republic Act 10354, Republic Act 8344, and the Philippine Constitution of 1987. In the Philippines, most unintended pregnancies leading to abortion are preventable, as are almost all abortion-related diseases and morbidities. Better information on sexual and reproductive health, as well as access to effective contraceptives, can reduce the incidence of unwanted pregnancies, thereby reducing the number of Filipino women who resort to unsafe abortion and the associated health consequences.

Investing in women`s health brings enormous benefits not only to women`s status and productivity, but also to their families and society as a whole. 1. Ericta CN, Household population of the Philippines reach 92.1 million, press release, Manila, Philippines: Household Statistics Department, National Statistics Office, August 30, 2012, , accessed September 5, 2012. We recommend anyone looking for opportunities to buy abortion pills online to visit trusted websites such as Women on Web and Women Help Women. The constitutional provision that “[the State] shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn child from conception” was drafted by the Constitutional Commission, which drafted the Charter with the intention of providing constitutional protection for the prohibition of abortion, although the adoption of a more definitive provision sanctioning the prohibition was unsuccessful. This provision is included in several government policies that are generally considered unenforceable in the absence of implementing legislation. The 1987 Constitution also contains several other provisions listing various State policies. [Note 1] Whether these provisions in themselves can be the source of enforceable rights without implementing rules has been the subject of much debate in the legal field and in the Supreme Court. [Note 2] Attorney Clara Rita Padilla, spokesperson for the Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN), said that while there are “progressive interpretations” of abortion law in the Philippines, there are no clear exceptions that allow pregnancy to be terminated even in serious cases such as rape and incest, or to save the life of the pregnant woman.