Filipinas seek abortions online in largely Catholic nation

Abortions are strictly outlawed in the mainly Catholic Philippines. Read more at straitstimes.com.

MANILA – Jane had been bleeding heavily for days before finally seeking help, not from a hospital, but from the man who sold her the pills meant to end her six-week pregnancy.

Abortions are strictly outlawed in the mainly Catholic Philippines, forcing women to turn to a patchwork of providers operating in the online shadows.

While rare in practice, Philippine law allows for prison terms of up to six years for abortion patients and providers, leaving thousands of Filipinas to search for solutions in online forums where unlicensed sellers promote abortifacients.

“It was very painful, as if my abdomen was being twisted,” Jane, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, told AFP, describing the visit where the seller, a purported doctor, inserted a pill into her cervix without anaesthesia.

Jane was warned not to disclose the abortion if anything went wrong, she said.

“I heard stories that some women were reported to the police, ignored or left to die when they reached the hospital,” the 31-year-old added.