Abortion is when a pregnancy is ended so that it doesn't result in the birth of a child. Sometimes it is called 'termination of pregnancy'.

BPAS cares for women with an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. We treat thousands of women who've decided that abortion is the right choice for them, and give advice and counselling to women who don't know what to do next.

There are two types of abortion treatment, 'Medical' and 'Surgical' abortion:

1. Medical abortion: The abortion pill
Some women feel that a medical abortion is a more natural process. There are two types of medical abortion

Abortion pill (also known as early medical abortion) up to 10 weeks
Involves taking medication to cause an early miscarriage (women experience cramping, pain and heavy bleeding).
after 9 weeks gestation 2 visits to the clinic will be needed (the visits may be on the same day or up to 3 days apart). Check the details when you book.
No surgery or anaesthetic.
More information on the abortion pill.

Abortion pill from 10 weeks up to 24 weeks
Involves taking medication to cause the womb to contract and push out the pregnancy.
2 visits to the clinic are needed.
Sometimes an overnight stay is needed on the 2nd visit – check when you book.
More information on the abortion pill between 10 and 24 weeks.

2. Surgical abortion
Surgical abortion involves a quick, minor operation. There are two types of surgical abortion:

Vacuum aspiration up to 15 weeks
Removes the pregnancy by gentle suction.
Up to 14 weeks of pregnancy this can be done with local anaesthetic. The quicker recovery time for this option means you can leave the clinic unattended and drive sooner.
Up to 15 weeks it can be done with sedation (relaxed and sleepy).
One visit to the clinic and you go home the same day.
More information about vacuum aspiration abortion

Dilatation and evacuation between 15 and 24 weeks
Carried out with general anaesthetic.
The pregnancy is removed using narrow forceps passed through the neck of the womb and some gentle suction.
One visit to the clinic and you go home the same day.
More information about dilatation and evacuation abortion.

•Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution says, in part, "Section 12. The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception."

The act is criminalized by Philippine law. Articles 256, 258 and 259 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines mandate imprisonment for women who undergo abortion, as well as for any person who assists in the procedure. Article 258 further imposes a higher prison term on the woman or her parents if the abortion is undertaken "in order to conceal [the woman's] dishonor".

There is no law in the Philippines that expressly authorizes abortions in order to save the woman's life; and the general provisions which do penalize abortion make no qualifications if the woman's life is endangered. It may be argued that an abortion to save the mother's life could be classified as a justifying circumstance (duress as opposed to self-defense) that would bar criminal prosecution under the Revised Penal Code. However, this has yet to be adjudicated by the Philippine Supreme Court.

Proposals to liberalize Philippine abortion laws have been opposed by the Catholic Church, and its opposition has considerable influence in the predominantly Catholic country. However, the constitutionality of abortion restrictions has yet to be challenged before the Philippine Supreme Court.

The constitutional provision that "[The State] shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception" was crafted by the Constitutional Commission which drafted the charter with the intention of providing for constitutional protection of the abortion ban, although the enactment of a more definitive provision sanctioning the ban was not successful. The provision is enumerated among several state policies, which are generally regarded in law as unenforceable in the absence of implementing legislation. The 1987 RP Constitution also contains several other provisions enumerating various state policies.Whether these provisions may, by themselves, be the source of enforceable rights without implementing legislation has been the subject of considerable debate in the legal sphere and within the Supreme Court.

An analysis by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs concluded that although the Revised Penal Code does not list specific exceptions to the general prohibition on abortion, under the general criminal law principles of necessity as set forth in article 11(4) of the Code, an abortion may be legally performed to save the pregnant woman’s life

•Abortion incidence
One 1997 study estimated that, despite legal restrictions, in 1994 there were 400,000 abortions performed illegally in the Philippines and 80,000 hospitalizations of women for abortion-related complications;[3] It was reported in 2005 that official estimates then ranged from 400,000 to 500,000 and rising, and that the World Health Organization estimate was 800,000. Seventy percent of unwanted pregnancies in the Philippines end in abortion, according to the WHO. Approximately 4 in 5 abortions in the Philippines are for economic reasons, often where a woman already has several children and cannot care for another.

While some doctors secretly perform abortions in clinics, the 2,000 to 5,000 peso (US$37 to US$93) fee is too high for many Filipinos, so they instead buy abortifacients on the black market, e.g. from vendors near churches, sari-sari stores and bakeries.[4] Two-thirds of Filipino women who have abortions attempt to self-induce or seek solutions from those who practice folk medicine. One hundred thousand people end up in the hospital every year due to unsafe abortions, according to the Department of Health,[4] and 12% of all maternal deaths in 1994 were due to unsafe abortion. Some hospitals refuse to treat complications of unsafe abortion, or operate without anesthesia, as punishment for the patients. The Department of Health has created a program to address the complications of unsafe abortion: Prevention and Management of Abortion and Its Complications.

•International status of abortion law. In some cases, this map may not accurately depict the content of this article.
Legal on request
Restricted to cases of maternal life, mental health, health, rape, fetal defects, and/or socioeconomic factors
Restricted to cases of maternal life, mental health, health, rape, and/or fetal defects
Restricted to cases of maternal life, mental health, health, and/or rape
Restricted to cases of maternal life, mental health, and/or health
Restricted to cases of maternal life
Illegal with no exceptions
No information
Abortion law permits, prohibits, restricts, or otherwise regulates the availability of abortion. Abortion has been a controversial subject in many societies through history on religious, moral, ethical, practical, and political grounds. It has been banned frequently and otherwise limited by law. However, abortions continue to be common in many areas, even where they are illegal. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), abortion rates are similar in countries where the procedure is legal and in countries where it is not, due to unavailability of modern contraceptives in areas where abortion is illegal.

Also according to the WHO, the number of abortions worldwide is declining due to increased access to contraception.[1] Almost two-thirds of the world's women currently reside in countries where abortion may be obtained on request for a broad range of social, economic, or personal reasons. Abortion laws vary widely by country. Three countries in Latin America (Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Nicaragua) and two in Europe (Malta and the Vatican City) ban the procedure entirely.