Many women in the Philippines are unable to have the ideal number of children and end up having more than they wish. Because of the huge unmet demand for contraception, unintended pregnancy is widespread. The Philippine government has made steps to enhance access to contraception services, but abortion remains prohibited in all situations and consequently heavily stigmatized. Abortion is still widespread, although it is frequently conducted in filthy settings and with outmoded procedures. Women’s access to reproductive health treatments is being hampered or opposed outright by various—often powerful—segments of Filipino society. While contraception is legal in the Philippines, until recent years, the government showed only a shaky support for access to modern contraceptives in order to minimize maternal mortality and morbidity and battle poverty in the country.
Abortion is the removal of a fetus from the uterus before it has attained viability (in human beings, usually about the 20th week of gestation). An abortion can occur naturally, in which case it is also known as a miscarriage, or it can be produced on purpose, in which case it is known as an induced abortion. Miscarriages or spontaneous abortions occur for a variety of causes, including sickness, trauma, genetic abnormality, or metabolic incompatibility of the mother and fetus. A missed abortion occurs when a fetus dies in the uterus but fails to be evacuated.
Abortion is a regular medical procedure. It is safe when performed according to WHO guidelines, for the course of the pregnancy, and by someone with the relevant abilities.
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MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
MEDICAL
- Progesterone – threatened miscarriage
- Bed rest (no evidence)
- Antibiotics (when indicated)
- Cervical preparation medications
MEDICAL
- Curettage
- Vacuum evacuation
CAUSES
RISK FACTORS
- Most 1st trimester miscarriages – CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITY
- INFECTION
- cervical weakness
- structural uterine abnormality
- APAS
- Smoking
- Advanced maternal age
- previous abortion
- Obesity
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- Thyroid disease
- Heavy caffeine intake
When performed properly, induced abortion is one of the safest procedures in medicine. In the United States, the risk of maternal mortality after induced abortion is 14 times lower than after childbirth. However, unsafe abortions—those performed by people lacking the necessary skills or in under-resourced settings—are a major cause of maternal death, particularly in developing countries. According to public-health research, having safe abortion legal and accessible lowers maternal fatalities.
