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.
kAm(9:=6 C2C6 :? AC24E:46[ !9:=:AA:?6 =2H 2==@HD 7@C AC:D@? E6C>D @7 FA E@ D:I J62CD 7@C 23@CE:@? A2E:6?ED 2?5 AC@G:56CD[ =62G:?8 E9@FD2?5D @7 u:=:A:?2D E@ D62C49 7@C D@=FE:@?D :? @?=:?6 7@CF>D H96C6 F?=:46?D65 D6==6CD AC@>@E6 23@CE:724:6?ED]k^Am
kAmQxE H2D G6CJ A2:?7F=[ 2D :7 >J 235@>6? H2D 36:?8 EH:DE65[Q y2?6[ H9@D6 ?2>6 92D 366? 492?865 E@ AC@E64E 96C :56?E:EJ[ E@=5 pu![ 56D4C:3:?8 E96 G:D:E H96C6 E96 D6==6C[ 2 AFCA@CE65 5@4E@C[ :?D6CE65 2 A:== :?E@ 96C 46CG:I H:E9@FE 2?26DE96D:2]k^Am
kAmy2?6 H2D H2C?65 ?@E E@ 5:D4=@D6 E96 23@CE:@? :7 2?JE9:?8 H6?E HC@?8[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQx 962C5 DE@C:6D E92E D@>6 H@>6? H6C6 C6A@CE65 E@ E96 A@=:46[ :8?@C65 @C =67E E@ 5:6 H96? E96J C624965 E96 9@DA:E2=[Q E96 b`\J62C\@=5 25565]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 A@DE\23@CE:@? 42C6 92D 366? =682= 7@C @G6C 2 564256[ >2?J 962=E9 H@C<6CD C6>2:? 96D:E2?E E@ AC@G:56 :E[ @G6C 762CD @7 36:?8 2CC6DE65 @C =@D:?8 E96:C =:46?D6D[ D2:5 yF?:46 |6=82C[ H9@D6 {:<922? r6?E6C 7@C (@>6?VD w62=E9 D6CG6D |2?:=2VD A@@C6DE]k^Am
kAmQx 36=:6G6 E92E 2 =@E @7 AC@G:56CD]]] H@F=5 =:<6 E@ 96=A] %96J >:89E 7:?5 :E 6E9:42=[ 3FE :EVD 2 D42CJ AC@A@D:E:@? 7@C E96>[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ Vp 49:==:?8 67764EV \k^9am
kAmpD H@>6? 92G6 7=@4<65 E@ @?=:?6 D@FC46D[ 2FE9@C:E:6D 92G6 E2<6? ?@E:46]k^Am
kAmx? y2?F2CJ[ 2 =2H>2<6C 7:=65 2 C6D@=FE:@? 42==:?8 7@C 2? :?G6DE:82E:@? :?E@ E96 8C@H:?8 ?F>36C @7 u:=:A:?2D C6D@CE:?8 E@ D@4:2= >65:2 7@C 96=A :? 6?5:?8 E96:C AC68?2?4:6D]Â k^Am
kAm%96 $6?2E6 =2DE J62C 2=D@ FC865 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 2?5 E96 u@@5 2?5 sCF8 p5>:?:DEC2E:@? E@ 4C24< 5@H? @? H92E 2 E@A =2H>2<6C 42==65 Q3C2K6? 4C:>6DQ]k^Am
kAmqFE y2?6[ H9:=6 24<?@H=658:?8 E96 A@E6?E:2= D276EJ :DDF6D[ D2:5 D96 762C65 E2C86E:?8 @?=:?6 D@FC46D H@F=5 @?=J 7FCE96C =:>:E 2446DD E@ 2 >F49\?66565 >65:42= AC@465FC6]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6 >:89E 36 2 49:==:?8 67764E[ 2?5 H6 H@?VE <?@H H96C6 6=D6 H6 42? 86E E96 AC@A6C :?7@C>2E:@?[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp C6AC@5F4E:G6 962=E9 D6CG:46D =2H A2DD65 :? a_`a 2:>65 E@ ?@C>2=:D6 4@>AC696?D:G6 D6I 65F42E:@? 2?5 7C66 4@?EC246AE:G6D 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 >62DFC6 72465 7:6C46 @AA@D:E:@? 7C@> E96 r2E9@=:4 r9FC49 2?5 4@?D6CG2E:G6 =68:D=2E@CD[ H9@ H62<6?65 :ED :>A=6>6?E2E:@?]k^Am
kAmuF?5:?8 H2D D=2D965[ 962=E942C6 H@C<6CD H6C6 2==@H65 E@ C67FD6 D6CG:46D[ 2?5 2446DD E@ 6>6C86?4J 4@?EC246AE:G6D =:<6 !=2? q H2D 962G:=J C6DEC:4E65]k^Am
kAmQ%96 r2E9@=:4 r9FC49 H:== 2=H2JD @AA@D6 23@CE:@? 2?5 :ED 2AA=:42E:@?D[Q AC:6DE s2? r2?4:?@ @7 E96 r2E9@=:4 q:D9@ADV r@?76C6?46 @7 E96 !9:=:AA:?6D E@=5 pu![ 4:E:?8 :ED 4@>>:E>6?E E@ E96 AC6D6CG2E:@? 2?5 5:8?:EJ @7 9F>2? =:76]k^Am
kAmx? C2C6 D:EF2E:@?D[ DF49 2D 64E@A:4 AC68?2?4:6D E92E E9C62E6? 2 H@>2?VD =:76[ :?E6CG6?E:@?D E92E >:89E =625 E@ 76E2= 562E9 42? 36 >@C2==J A6C>:DD:3=6[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 r9FC49VD A@D:E:@? 282:?DE Q:?E6?E:@?2= 23@CE:@?DQ :D 23D@=FE6[ 96 D2:5[ 6G6? :? 42D6D @7 C2A6 @C @? 8C@F?5D @7 >6?E2= 962=E9 @C 7:?2?4:2= 92C5D9:A]k^Am
kAmr2?4:?@ D2:5 E96 r9FC49 AC@G:56D DFAA@CE E@ >@E96CD 2?5 49:=5C6? 724:?8 F?:?E6?565 AC68?2?4:6D[ E9@F89 96 25>:EE65 E9@D6 677@CED C6>2:? QG6CJ 7C28>6?E65Q]k^Am
kAm{2HJ6C r=2C2 !25:==2 @7 E96 !9:=:AA:?6 $276 p3@CE:@? p5G@424J }6EH@C< W!x}$p}X[ >62?H9:=6[ D2:5 6G6? =682= 6I46AE:@?D 7@C C2A6[ :?46DE @C 962=E9 C:D<D H@F=5 Q?@E 36 6?@F89Q[ ?@E:?8 >@DE 23@CE:@?D H6C6 D@F89E 3J >2CC:65 H@>6? H:E9 2E =62DE E9C66 49:=5C6?]k^Am
k9am\ V!6@A=6 ?665 E9:DV \k^9am
kAm|@C6 E92? ad_ H@>6? 2C6 9@DA:E2=:D65 6G6CJ 52J 5F6 E@ 4@>A=:42E:@?D 7C@> F?D276 23@CE:@?D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 !x}$p} DEF5J] p3@FE E9C66 @7 E96> 5:6]k^Am
kAm!25:==2 D2:5 96C 8C@FA 92D 5@4F>6?E65 42D6D @7 H@>6? 3:?5:?8 E96:C DE@>249D[ :?D6CE:?8 H:C6 92?86CD :?E@ E96:C 46CG:I[ @C 6G6? 2D<:?8 A6@A=6 E@ <:4< E96> :? 2EE6>AED E@ :?5F46 23@CE:@?]k^Am
kAmQ$@>6 A6@A=6 2C6 @AA@D:?8 W23@CE:@?X 3642FD6 :EVD 282:?DE E96:C >@C2=D[Q !25:==2 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ(6VC6 ;FDE D2J:?8 E92E A6@A=6 ?665 E9:D[ 2?5 J@F D9@F=5?VE 36 32CC:?8 E96> 7C@> 2446DD:?8 962=E942C6 E92E 42? D2G6 E96:C =:G6D]Qk^Am
kAmtG6? :7 4@?EC246AE:G6D H6C6 62D:=J 2G2:=23=6[ 23@CE:@? H@F=5 C6>2:? 2 ?646DD2CJ 324<DE@A 7@C H@>6? 7@C H9@> 2? F?A=2??65 AC68?2?4J 42? >62? D=:5:?8 7FCE96C :?E@ A@G6CEJ 2?5 G:@=6?46[ D2:5 E96 {:<922? r6?E6CVD |6=82C]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6 H:== 36 C2A6D[ E96C6 H:== 36 @E96C 4:C4F>DE2?46D H96C6 AC@E64E:@? D:>A=J 5@6D ?@E H@C<[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmy2?6[ H9@ D2:5 D96 DF776C65 7C@> 235@>:?2= A2:?[ H62<?6DD 2?5 =@DD @7 2AA6E:E6 7@C FA E@ E9C66 >@?E9D 27E6C E96 AC@465FC6[ E@=5 pu! D96 H@F=5 >2<6 E96 D2>6 564:D:@? :7 7@C465 E@ 5@ :E @G6C]k^Am
kAmQ(96? J@F E2=< 23@FE 23@CE:@? :? E96 !9:=:AA:?6D[ E96 5:D4FDD:@? :D C65F465 E@ H96E96C :E :D =682= @C >@C2=] !6@A=6 7@C86E E92E 23@CE:@? :D 2 962=E9 :DDF6[Q D96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D >J 3@5J[ >J 962=E9[ >J =:76[ 2?5 :EVD FA E@ >6 E@ 564:56 H92E 92AA6?D E@ :E]Qk^Am
kAmA2>\26^4H=^=<5^>;Hk^Am
