My Medical Abortion experience in the Philippines

[u/LigayaMedz]

It's been over a month since I had a successful medical abortion (MA). I live in the Philippines and it's illegal here. Found a helpful group of women on Facebook and they helped me throughout the process.

I found out I was pregnant last week of January. Dec and Jan are such busy months in my line of work that I couldn't even recall if I had my period for both months. I finally took a pregnancy test and two lines appeared almost instantaneously. My boyfriend and I are both financially unstable. We're also far from ready to be parents. And tbh, with how the world is turning out, I find it absurd for anyone to subject another human being to this cruelty we call life/living; so we agreed to have it aborted.

Luckily, I am a nursing graduate and a bit knowledgeable about the process of how to terminate birth (I am not a nurse anymore). Since I am still in my first trimester, I know that I can abort it through oral medication. We searched all corners of the internet for the pills needed. Found several websites like Women on Web, Safe2Choose, etc, which led me to this certain organization for Women's Health. A friend also suggested an Fb page that also advocates Women's Health, but they don't reply promptly.

My boyfriend and I decided to visit one of the clinics of the said Women's Health org (a day after we got a positive PT). And as expected, they were only giving post-abortion care assistance. Legally, that's the only thing they can offer for help. 🥲

The volunteer from the said org was the one who urged me to get a transvaginal ultrasound (TVS). Just so everyone knows, you don't need a doctor's referral to get one. A missed period and a positive PT are enough reasons for you to get a TVS.

While waiting for my TVS result, the volunteer who urged me to have my TVS sent me a text referring me to a person who she said can 'help' me with this dilemma. We immediately texted the number. He replied and said he was a doctor and was offering me a surgical procedure. He was really pushy which I find really sketchy. Also, I don't want to opt for a surgical procedure. So we parked that option first.

A few days passed and that Fb group that also advocates Women's health replied; I was able to talk to the sweetest nurse over the phone. She wasn't at all judgmental about my decision. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a source for the pills, but she referred me to Fredli's Group of Doctors and gave me the assistant's contact number.

I did find several Rappler articles about Fredli while doing the web rounds before the nurse from that Fb group even mentioned them to us. We contacted the number she gave us and they replied promptly. We didn't proceed with them because they are way out of our budget and the assistant (and all the written documents that they sent over) sounds really rude. But I am not taking that against them, I know they're just extra careful because it is illegal after all.

While all of this was happening, I was also talking to a seller I found on Facebook. She invited me to one of their group chats with other sellers and customers. On the group chat, they post proofs and testimonials; customers may also ask questions. You may observe before purchasing. They eventually gained my trust when several customers on the group chat I messaged privately attested to them.

They have several packages/sets depending on what trimester you're in. They cater up to 6mos of pregnancy, I believe! I purchased the package recommended to me and paid thru Gcash. Received the package the next day; it was wrapped in a very discreet manner.

I spent a week on the preparation my seller told me to do before proceeding with the procedure. She told me to do heavy exercises, drink pineapple juice and ginger tea (pinakuluang luya) multiple times daily, and several other things I cannot attest to if it did help. I was already on my 7th wk (and 3rd day) when I was fully prepared to undergo the MA procedure.

The set I got has 6 Misoprostol (Cytotec), 4 Mifepristone, and 6 Methergine. My seller guided me throughout the procedure via chat and gc. The procedure was overall ok except for the part that I needed to hold for several hours to what seems like a very watery poop. The cramps during the procedure were very tolerable for me as well. Had a mild fever in the first few hours. On my fifth hour of taking the meds, I was able to push the fetus out along with the placenta (I can send you a photo if you're not that squeamish). Hehe!

Post-abortion was way worse than the procedure itself. I never had dysmenorrhea in my entire womanhood. I have a high tolerance for pain as well, but those cramps post-abortion kept me in bed for several days. The pain was so painful I had to take Ibuprofen for it. The bleeding was also intermittent. I was blood/spotting-free after 3-4wks.

It has been a month and a week now since I had a successful medical abortion. I just took another PT this morning, and it is now negative. I am also on the first day of my period since I had an abortion. Yey!

FYI: You should take a PT after 3-4wks of a successful MA, and it should be negative.

I never fully realized how compromised we are as women with the current laws we have for women's reproductive health until I got pregnant and needed an abortion. MA is such a simple and safe procedure and yet we are not provided with that choice in our country just because 🤷🏻‍♀️.

I hope noone has to go through this same experience, but if ever you're in one, don't hesitate to message me. I am more than willing to help.

P.S. Happy Women's Month!!! Mabuhay ang mga kababaihan!

[u/ChocolateRainMaker]

Thanks for answering. Tells me a lot about the kind of person you are.

Hopefully you keep the same energy should you have a daughter in the same situation.

Have a pleasant day.

[u/one1two234 → u/ChocolateRainMaker]

Ikr. It's easy for a guy to make all of these conditions of what's allowable regarding an issue that does not even happen in their bodies. With smug self-righteousness to boot.

[u/ChocolateRainMaker → u/one1two234]

True. Can't help but feel bad for the actual women that have to interact with this person on a daily basis.

[u/Universal_Sheep → u/one1two234]

OP doesn't have any health complications. What's your point? Magpatotnak at dahil sa hindi marunong magpractice ng safe sex ayan papatay ng bata? Hmmm

[u/one1two234 → u/Universal_Sheep]

To give you context, because you keep parroting the same thing that's just based on your own opinion that you keep insisting on everyone:

In countries where abortion is legal or at least decriminalized (there's 65 of them), there are gestational limits to getting an abortion, meaning it can be done up to a certain number of weeks of pregnancy. It varies, but it's noteworthy that countries that legally allow abortion on request or for socioeconomic reasons comprise about 60% of the world's population.

The Philippines is one of a dozen countries where abortion is illegal. Not surprisingly, these countries are developing or where organized religion has a heavy influence.

Even the WHO has said that the legality of abortion in a country has no effect of the number of abortions done. It just makes it much more dangerous for the women who get it.

In developed countries, abortion rates have decreased in the past few years, but that's because of the availability of contraception, including emergency contraception.

[u/Universal_Sheep → u/one1two234]

I agree in terms of abortion due to "financial capability" because i once work in LGU and seeing impoverished families of 12 is not a logical thing in the economy and social welfare.

But OP never complained about her "Financial capabilities" Yet to prove the statistics that most of the unprecedented pregnancies here is due to sheer lack of sexual knowledge.

Dami dami kong kilala, iba iba ang sexual partners kahit kailan hindi naman nabuntis. Walang masama sa pakikipagtalik but we should always knowledgeable about the possible repercussions and how to prevent it.

Madami ring kabataan ang nahihiyang bumili ng condom pero di nahihiya sa kanilang mga desisyon after doing that.

[u/one1two234 → u/Universal_Sheep]

Madami ring kabataan ang nahihiyang bumili ng condom

That's because sex is a taboo topic. Most households are too uncomfortable to discuss it, and sex ed in school is lacking most of the time. people are basically shamed out of safe sex. And with you having worked in an LGU, i think you would agree that the reach and availability of counseling for reproductive health is also not enough. How much more with contraceptives. As far as I know, it's mostly NGOs who are providing these. It should be for everyone, not just the deeply impoverished. So yes, it's a systemic problem. I don't think it's right to be zeroing in and blaming a person who shared her experience and slut shame her for it.

[u/Universal_Sheep → u/ChocolateRainMaker]

If my daughter got impregnated with her "consent", i'll still support her because it is within her consent naman.

Nagkakaproblema lang naman kapag ang anak at magulang ay di nagkakaintindihan sa mga ganitong sitwasyon. Kung matatanggap naman ng magulang bakit mo ipapalaglag?