Parents are generally strongly opposed to abortion. They would only help because of the perceived shame associated with children born out of wedlock or because of assault, Moises says. “From their point of view, abortion is a cure for a scandal. But young people are increasingly aware that abortion is a form of health care. 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. Opposition to abortion in the United States is primarily driven by the religious right, in a rare alliance between evangelical Protestants and the Catholic Church. Kay Ivey, governor of Alabama and Southern Baptist, proclaimed that “every life is a sacred gift from God” when she signed her state`s law on May 15. In the Philippines, where more than 90 percent of the population identifies as Christian, proposals to change abortion laws are consistently rejected by the influential Catholic Church. President Rodrigo Duterte often comes into conflict with the Church — he has called bishops “sons of whores” and said in February that the Catholic Church will “disappear” in 25 years — but he has publicly stated that he hates abortion.
• Examine the impact of the current ban on abortion and examine whether abortion is permitted at least in exceptional cases, such as to save a woman`s life or maintain her health, in cases of rape or incest, and when there is a serious fetal deformity incompatible with life. Under DOH AO No. In 2016-0041, the following professionals are allowed to perform post-abortion care services: The practice of unsafe clandestine abortions must stop, Hontiveros said. She also reaffirmed the importance of destigmatizing abortion as a national measure for the country. The constitutional provision that “[the State] shall protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn child equally from the moment of 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 promulgation of a more definitive provision sanctioning the prohibition was unsuccessful. The provision is one of several state policies that are generally considered unenforceable in law in the absence of implementing legislation. The 1987 Constitution also contains several other provisions that list various State policies. [Note 1] Whether these provisions in themselves can be the source of enforceable rights without implementing legislation has been the subject of heated debate in the legal field and in the Supreme Court.
[Note 2] The Philippines is also the only country in the world that does not allow divorce. A bill that would make divorce legal was passed by the country`s House of Representatives last year, but it is stalled in the Senate. Filipinos who want to end their marriage must receive an annulment that considers their marriage as never valid in the eyes of the Church – a long, painful and costly process that is inaccessible to most people, highly biased in favor of men and heavily dependent on ecclesiastical unions. This keeps women, in particular, trapped in abusive marriages – and helps undermine any sense of sexual independence. 31. Cansino C et al., Physicians` approaches to post-abortion care in Manila, Philippines, International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2010, 109(3):216–218. • Policymakers and government agencies should educate the public about contraception, ensure adequate funding for contraceptives, and remove barriers to the acquisition of methods, especially among disadvantaged populations. To support the destigmatization of follow-up, the government should train more providers to use safer and less invasive methods of care. • Train more medical providers, including mid-level staff, in the application of safer and less invasive methods of post-abortion care (such as MVA) and ensure the availability of these methods in relevant health facilities.
He also said he was “more concerned about deaths caused by unsafe abortions” than about opposition from Church leaders. “It`s a woman`s decision because it`s her body.” The mother of four kept her abortion a secret from her husband and family because she knew they would never allow it. Contrary to the trend towards liberalization of contraceptive policy, the Philippine Abortion Law is one of the strictest in the world. Abortion remains illegal and highly stigmatized in the Philippines in all circumstances. While a liberal interpretation of the law may exempt abortion provisions from criminal liability if it is done to save a woman`s life, there are no such explicit provisions.5,10-12 There are also no explicit exceptions to allow abortion in cases of rape, incest or fetal impairment. The Penal Code considers abortion to be a criminal offence punishable by up to six years in prison for doctors and midwives who perform abortions and 2 years in prison for women who undergo the procedure for any reason. A separate set of laws under the Midwifery Act, the Medicines Act and the Medicines Act allows for the revocation or suspension of the licences of a practitioner who performs abortions or abortions. Most women who had an abortion had discussed it with at least one person, but less than half had discussed it with their partner, suggesting that in many cases, women feel that their partner will not support their situation or decision.4 Nearly a third of women who have an abortion.
don`t tell anyone, point out how much abortion is stigmatized in the Philippines. • Educate the public about modern contraceptives and the risks of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion. In the Philippines, many women face the same choices as Anna, as they feel they have no choice but to risk their lives to get illegal dismissals. The most recent estimate, published in 2008, found that up to 1,000 women die each year from complications related to unsafe abortions. There are fears that this number has risen to more than 2,000 – six women a day due to the increasing number of abortions and ongoing restrictions that prevent access to safe services. The U.S. Supreme Court`s decision to ban abortion is good news,” Crispin Varquez, a local bishop and prelate of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, said in an interview with Radio Veritas Asia, a religious station based in Quezon City. This represents an increase of more than 100% over previous estimates of about 610,000 induced abortions in 2012.
At the time, it was estimated that three women had died from complications related to unsafe abortion. • Unsafe abortion carries significant risks for Filipino women: about 1,000 people die each year from abortion complications, contributing to the country`s high maternal mortality rate. Tens of thousands of women are hospitalized each year for complications from unsafe abortion. In 2008, an estimated 1,000 maternal deaths in the Philippines were due to abortion complications.13 According to the Philippine Department of Health, the country`s maternal mortality rate increased from 161 to 221 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2006 and 2011.25 This ratio is well above the government`s Millennium Development Goal 5 of 52 maternal mortality per 100,000 live births for 2015.26 The Ministry of Health recognizes that high maternal mortality is preventable. providing effective family planning methods to address unmet needs, especially among poor women, and that access to antenatal care and care for complications related to pregnancy and abortion would also help reduce maternal mortality. 32. Vlassoff M et al., The health system cost of post-abortion care in Uganda, Health Policy and Planning, 2012, , accessed December 15, 2012. Some women turn to traditional healers in their communities who offer vigorous massages to induce an abortion. It`s a painful and dangerous procedure, says Dr.
Junice Melgar, co-founder of the Likhaan Centre for Women`s Health: “It doesn`t happen once – you have to do it several times until you get bleeding.” In 2016, the Department of Health issued an Administrative Order (AO) for the Prevention and Treatment of Abortion Complications (DOH AO No. 2016-0041). The objective of this policy is to provide and improve the quality of safe post-abortion services in private and public health facilities. This AO came into force on November 25, 2016. In addition to the AO, there are other laws that require safe post-abortion care: Republic Act (RA) 9710, RA 10354, RA 8344, and the Philippine Constitution of 1987. In fact, last year, WGNRR and PINSAN held online discussions, learning sessions, and art workshops to present the current image of abortion in the Philippines, but also to invite people to dream and hope for a better future. They even produced a music album, Pasya (Choice or Decision), which “celebrates the strength of people who face challenges to their rights to physical autonomy.” Cytotec is a brand of abortion pills that contains only misoprostol and can only be used for medical abortion. For more complete instructions on how to use the abortion pill, visit www.howtouseabortionpill.org/howto/.