In the Philippines, punitive laws and puritanical views make access to safe abortion services very difficult for adult women. (1) This difficulty is even greater for young women, most of whom are financially dependent on their parents or not accorded adult privileges even when contributing to family income. Lack of funds (a surgical abortion in a clinic costs US$73-273 (2)), practically no information on safe methods and where to get them, and worrying about family reaction if found to have undergone abortion are more than enough reasons for most young women to continue the pregnancy.
Despite these impediments, induced abortions are common. The Guttmacher Institute ...