ADVERTISED among children’s toys, second-hand clothing and unwanted furniture on social media, illicit abortion pills are being flogged to heavily pregnant women.
The – and risky ‘recipes’ – are being sold to desperate expectant mothers, with one seller claiming their product terminated a five-month twin .
A Sun investigation found British women can purchase unsafe from international sellers for as little as £12 – with the price rising to £16 for those in the second trimester.
Even women in the third trimester are being targeted – with one unverified seller offering pills and “free womb cleaning”; via to a buyer who was eight months pregnant.
Another told a woman who was seven months: “I can show you proof of those I helped.”;
Charities and experts have warned that black market abortions can cause , organ damage and even death, with survivors reporting blood “gushing”; uncontrollably out of them.
It follows an unprecedented surge in the number of women and girls being criminally investigated following pregnancy loss and abortion in England.
In the past two years alone, six women have appeared in court. Before this, there had been only three reported convictions for illegal abortion since 1861 – when the UK’s Offences Against the Person Act, which remains in place today, was introduced.
The Victorian-era Act carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The recent rise in criminal investigations has prompted the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), along with more than 30 other organisations and experts, to call for “urgent action”; by Parliament to protect women’s “essential reproductive rights”;.
The high-profile groups want Parliament to “immediately address the trauma and cruelty”; endured by women by decriminalising abortion and removing the threat of prosecution.
In the UK, abortion is permitted up to 24 weeks with the authorisation of two doctors.
Since the Covid-19 , women under 10 weeks pregnant have been able to legally access ‘pills-by-post’ abortions from their homes after a remote consultation with a doctor.
But this hasn’t stopped the sale of unprescribed – and potentially lethal – abortion medication on social media, with experts telling The Sun that illegal online sellers are “widespread”;.
‘Excruciating pain'
“The key danger with so-called ‘black market' abortion pills is that they are often used without medical supervision, at incorrect doses, or well beyond the recommended time frame,”; said British pharmacist Deborah Grayson, of Practice With Confidence.
“Women have reported experiencing extremely traumatic outcomes – excruciating pain, heavy blood loss described as ‘gushing', vomiting, sweating and intense emotional distress – all without medical support.
“That kind of experience, particularly if complications arise, can be both dangerous and frightening.
“If any pregnancy tissue remains, surgical intervention may be required, which carries its own risks – especially if the womb is damaged in the process.
“The further along the pregnancy, the greater the danger.”;
During our investigation, The Sun found a string of disturbing adverts on the messaging app Telegram, featuring graphic pictures claiming to show illegally aborted foetuses.
“5 months twins success without preparation,”; one seller boasted.
Another advert read: “4-5 months success without preparation and fasting.”;
Some photos showed aborted placentas, bloodied pads and negative pregnancy tests, all celebrated by sellers. Others depicted packages of pills for “international shipping”;.
Deborah added: “Buying medication online from unregulated sources is incredibly risky. You simply can’t know if what you’re taking is genuine, correctly dosed, or even safe.
“Counterfeit pills are a growing issue, and there’s no quality control outside of regulated pharmacies. These medications should only ever be taken after proper medical consultation.”;
Dangerous ‘remedies'
We also found black market abortions being openly advertised on Facebook.
Sellers on one public group were offering “home remedies”; for abortion, including common household ingredients.
Other posts promoted supposedly termination-inducing drinks.
“Finally I'm free yooh (sic) the pain I almost died I was 7_8 months (sic),”; one user posted on the group, though the claims cannot be verified.
The Sun also found pills being flogged abroad on Facebook Marketplace.
Though many adverts for black market pills and ‘remedies’ are written in English, it is believed that some buyers live in countries where abortion at any stage is illegal.
In another Facebook group, an alleged buyer of illicit tablets – a student who had reportedly been on birth control – had written: “I was 5-6months pregnant and now I am free.
“Took the pills yesterday at 8:30pm and finished the whole process at 6am.”;
Dr Melanie Davis-Hall, medical director of the women’s health platform, The Lowdown, described the dangers of black market abortions as “significant and multifaceted”;.
“Without access to regulated medical care, individuals may resort to untrained providers or attempt self-managed abortions using unverified methods,”; she told The Sun.
“This can lead to severe complications such as heavy bleeding, infections, sepsis, and damage to internal organs like the uterus.
“In extreme cases, these complications can be fatal. Survivors of unsafe abortions may face chronic health issues, including chronic pelvic pain and infertility due to uterine scarring, damage to the cervix, or complications from untreated infections.”;
Katherine O'Brien, of the leading UK charity British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), said she feared that women suffering from complications after taking pills with unknown ingredients, which were posted from overseas, “won’t seek medical assistance or care”;.
“We know that it’s going to be the most vulnerable women who are turning to these sources,”; she said, describing how such women might fear prosecution if they seek help.
“I think that is really worrying.”;
Sick scams
According to BPAS’s website, women living in the most deprived areas of England were almost twice as likely to have an abortion in 2022 than those in the least deprived.
Aside from the prospect of life-threatening complications and emotional distress, women who access abortion medication via social media risk losing their money to scammers.
“You may be scammed into receiving the wrong medication or dose, or none at all, and you won’t receive accurate, complete information,”; said Veronica Fernández, Operations Manager of the Canadian charity, Women on Web.
“Both reliable medication and comprehensive guidance are essential for safely self‑managing your abortion.”;
Women on Web – which has seen for abortion pills from British women drop to “nearly zero”; since the introduction of telemedicine during Covid-19 – said it faced a “unique challenge”; amid the online posts advertising black market abortions.
“Platforms like Facebook struggle to distinguish our legitimate research and medically-vetted content from that of these illegal sellers,”; said Ms Fernández.
“As a result, our posts are sometimes incorrectly flagged, suppressed, or removed, making it harder for people to find accurate, trustworthy information, while unreliable sellers remain easily accessible.”;
Every minute, more than 60 women globally resort to unsafe or black market abortions.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), roughly 73 million abortions are performed each year, 45 per cent of which – or nearly 33 million – are deemed unsafe.
In England and Wales, the number of abortions has reached a record high amid the cost of living crisis – with 251,377 abortions for women resident in the two countries recorded in 2022. This was an increase of 17 per cent on the previous year.
Meta, which owns Facebook, told The Sun it had removed the illicit adverts we flagged to them for “violating our policies”;.
A spokesperson for Telegram said: “The sale of controlled substances, including medications, is expressly forbidden by Telegram's terms of service and is removed whenever discovered.
“Moderators empowered with custom AI and machine learning tools proactively monitor public parts of the platform and accept reports in order to remove millions of pieces of harmful content each day.
“Telegram can disclose the IP address and phone number of criminals who breach its terms of service in response to valid legal requests.”
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
