Unintended Pregnancy and Induced Abortion in the Philippines: Causes and Consequences

A Guttmacher Institute publication

Download the full report here (PDF 1.35 MB) or at the Guttmacher Institute website.

Executive Summary

Each year in the Philippines, hundreds of thousands of women become pregnant without intending to, and many women with unintended pregnancies decide to end them by abortion. Because abortion is legal only to save a woman’s life, most procedures are clandes- tine, and many are carried out in unsafe circumstances. Unsafe abortion can endanger women’s reproductive health and lead to serious, often life-threatening compli- cations. Furthermore, unsafe abortions impose a heavy burden on women, their families and society by virtue of the serious health consequences that often ensue: These health problems can keep women from work and school, and treatment can be costly and consume scarce medical resources at both public and private health institutions. Because abortion is highly stigmatized and largely prohib- ited, information on abortion is difficult to obtain. However, new research findings shed light on the causes, level and consequences of abortion in the Philippines.