1. Legal Restrictions Do Not Reduce the Need for or Incidence of Abortion, But Only Make It Unsafe Studies have shown that abortion rates are lower in countries with liberal abortion laws and where contraceptive information and services are accessible.16 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), restrictive laws on abortion do nothing to achieve the purported goal of reducing abortion; instead, they result in an increased number of women seeking unsafe abortions and facing avoidable complications or death.17 In the Philippines, restrictive abortion laws drive women to seek services from providers lacking the necessary skills and/or under unhygienic and dangerous conditions.18 Because of restrictions, abortions are performed clandestinely and there is no official data on the actual number of women undergoing abortions each year. Independent studies, however, show that there has been a steady increase in the number of abortions in the country. Estimates show that the incidence of abortion has increased from 560,000 in 2008 to 610,000 in 2012.19 MARICEL’S STORY: THE FATALITY OF ABORTION STIGMA Maricel, an 18-year-old mother of one, tragically died after she delayed seeking lifesaving medical attention for abortion complications because she feared the law and being punished. She was granted a visa to work abroad as a domestic worker, and became pregnant when breastfeeding failed as a method of contraception. If she continued with the pregnancy, she would have been forced to give up the job opportunity. As a result, she tried to induce an abortion to avoid jeopardizing her employment.9 Unfortunately, her efforts led to fatal complications, which if treated immediately could have saved her life. 2. Restrictive Abortion Laws Contribute to the Philippines’ Increasing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Rates Abortion is a safe medical procedure when done according to WHO standards.20 However, legal abortion restrictions cause many women in the Philippines to suffer life-threatening complications. The number of women hospitalized for abortion complications increased from 90,000 in 2008 to 100,000 in 2012.21 These numbers can be expected to continue rising as the Philippine population and demand for services increases. Common complications of unsafe abortion include blood loss, hemorrhage, sepsis, infection, perforation of the uterus, damage to other internal organs, and death.22 Unsafe abortion is also one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide23 and in the Philippines.24 The number of abortion-related deaths in the country is estimated at 1,000 deaths annually, which contributes to the country’s high maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and poor progress in achieving its international and national development goals.25 Furthermore, due to stigma from legal restrictions on abortion, even women with potentially fatal complications may be forced to continue their pregnancies to term, undermining government efforts to reduce maternal mortality.26 4 REALIZING A HEALTHY, EQUAL, AND THRIVING PHILIPPINES