Investigation | Following an unwanted pregnancy, many women turn to Facebook, looking for pills or other remedies for abortion. However, many of the solutions offered on several groups are actually scams. Forbes investigation.
Article by Emily Baker-White for Forbes US – translated by Flora Lucas
In a Facebook group with more than 8,000 followers, Brazilian women are calling for help: “I’m 15 weeks pregnant and I don’t know what to do anymore. I tried the medicine at 8 weeks and it went badly”can we read in a message. “I am 9 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I’ve tried every possible herbal tea I’ve seen on the internet, and some of them really hurt. I already have two young children, and this pregnancy was the result of neglect. Time passes and I am desperate”says another woman. A third woman says she cannot afford abortion medication, so she seeks other remedies. A fourth says she spent what little money she had on the sale of a remedy that she now fears is a scam.
The group hosting these posts is called “Safe Abortion – Helping Women”. In Brazil, where abortion is illegal in most cases, nearly 200,000 women have joined similar groups dedicated to buying and selling mifepristone, misoprostol and a variety of home remedies that , they hope, could end their unwanted pregnancy.
Facebook groups and pages present in almost every major region of the world
These groups are not for the faint of heart. Many feature photos of bloody sanitary napkins and fetuses, and many others contain cries for help from women fleeing abusive partners or fearing for the health of their children. Messages warning about scammers and fake pills are common, as are side conversations about unprotected sex and contraception. Sometimes a person opposed to abortion steps in to advise women to consider adoption.
Brazil is one of many countries where women are turning to Facebook for abortion care. A review of the platform by Forbes found nearly 800 groups and pages in 76 countries offering to connect women with abortion solutions. Of these groups, at least 300 operate in countries where abortion is at least sometimes illegal, if not a criminal offense. In total, these groups have almost 1.8 million subscribers. Forbes found that Facebook groups and pages selling abortion drugs were present in almost every major region of the world, including in population centers where abortion is restricted like Brazil (111 groups with over 191,000 subscribers), Kenya (50 groups for more than 111,000 subscribers) and the Philippines (57 groups for more than 37,000 subscribers). This type of group is also found in Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Germany and Norway.
Seventeen groups and pages claimed to provide abortion pills to women in the United States, but it is unclear exactly how many of them actually make these pills available. The largest of these, which has more than 117,000 subscribers, directed users to an abortion-related URL which then redirected them to an adult site. The group’s two administrators, one of whom sells live poultry in the Philippines from his Facebook profile, did not respond to interview requests from Forbes.
Many groups have used a new Facebook feature that allows members of a group to post as ” anonymous participant ”, rather than under the name they use on Facebook. Many members of groups selling medicines and cures have taken further steps to conceal their identities, which, if revealed, could threaten their safety and freedom. A private Brazilian group has ten administrators, all of whom use profile photos apparently generated by artificial intelligence, and four who listed their last name as “cyto” or “cito” (short for cytotec, Pfizer’s brand for misoprostol). While some of these groups claim to be run by doctors, many clearly are not and are instead places where women can buy and sell pills and other products without a prescription.
Turning to Facebook presents risks
The ban on abortion does not prevent women from terminating their pregnanciesbut it prevents them from doing so safely. Katy Mayall, director of strategic initiatives at Center for Reproductive Rightsdeclared to Forbes that there are reliable websites where people can learn how to self-manage their abortion and order safe, genuine pills (she recommends Women Help Women, Women on Web et INeedAnA.com). However, Facebook groups, according to her, are a double-edged sword: while they allow some women to get help, they can be a gateway for scammers and other scammers, and carry risks for the health and privacy of people living in countries with restrictive rules.
One risk for people in these groups is that Facebook will be forced to share their personal information with law enforcement. In August 2022, after the U.S. Supreme Court made abortion illegal in dozens of U.S. states, Facebook had to hand over messages between a mother and her daughter to law enforcement in Nebraska, who used as evidence in the prosecution of the two women for purchasing and using abortion pills to end a pregnancy. The daughter later pleaded guilty to removing, hiding or abandoning a dead human body, and the mother pleaded guilty to the same charge and another: performing an abortion beyond 20 weeks.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling, Facebook began removing groups, pages and posts from women trying to buy and sell abortion drugs. However, continued monitoring of this activity has proven tricky for the platform: many groups no longer refer to drugs by name, but use euphemisms such as “sweets” et « caramels ».
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, allowed companies in certain countries to carry advertisements for prescription drugs, including mifepristone and misoprostol, provided that the advertisements are not directed to people under the age of 18. Advertisers who promote prescription drugs must prove to Meta that they are authorized to sell them and must receive pre-approval before running their ads.
Meta does not prohibit women from speaking about their abortion experiences on its platforms, and in the groups and pages reviewed by Forbesit seems that drug sales rarely take place on Facebook. Sellers typically invite potential buyers to contact them on WhatsApp, Meta’s encrypted chat service (e.g. « DM me for candies »literally “DM for candy”). When a person calls the WhatsApp numbers displayed in some of these groups, they sometimes receive an automated welcome message asking for details about their location and the progress of their pregnancy.
A supplier communicated to Forbes a price range of $80 to $200, for various purported drugs and remedies. Women on Webone of the websites recommended by Katy Mayall, offers combinations of mifepristone and misoprostol for a price between 70 and 90 euros, depending on the patient’s location.
When Forbes contacted dozens of these numbers on WhatsApp, few of them responded after we identified ourselves as journalists. One of the providers we messaged said “saddened to see the number of deaths due to abortion among women”. Another person whose number was posted in the groups said they were not a provider, but that they “received messages every day asking for remedies”.
Scams, but also advice
Meta spokesperson Ryan Daniels said: “We want our platforms to be a place where people can safely discuss the issues that matter to them, including health-related topics. At the same time, we have specific rules and policies regarding the purchase, sale or exchange of prescription drugs and protections to protect people from scammers, whether in health care or in other industries. other areas. We will take action against any pages or groups that we deem to violate our policies. »
In some groups, women ask and advise each other on how to end a pregnancy using home remedies. While most of these remedies are harmless (although ineffective), some can cause health problems. Several of the groups examined by Forbes contained advice recommending that women use a combination of over-the-counter medications and Coca-Cola to end their pregnancies. This remedy does not cause abortion, but can cause vaginal infections and other health problems.
In addition to the accusations of scam, Forbes also found evidence of larger, more coordinated efforts to reach (and potentially mislead) women seeking care. In Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and other countries, a network of several hundred pages offers “abortion kits” using the same set of profile photos, descriptions and phone numbers.
Some groups and pages are specifically looking for women with difficult abortion needs, such as those who are six, seven, or even eight months pregnant. In a group from South Africa, where abortion is legal, a subscriber wrote: “I was 6 months pregnant!” Now I’m free after being scammed three times, don’t give up ladies. » Several other members of the group also reported falling victim to repeated scams and ending up terminating pregnancies later.
Other groups are specifically aimed at teenage girls who are not ready to become parents. Dozens of messages posted by a group administrator posing as a doctor promote a Zimbabwean service to his more than 800 subscribers: “Teenage girls are welcome and there is no parental consent. » This post also appeared on the group’s “about” page. Abortion is only legal in the country in cases of rape, incest, when the pregnancy threatens the life or health of the pregnant person, or if the fetus is likely to have serious physical or mental defects.
Groups buying and selling abortion remedies have also flourished in South Africa, which, unlike most other countries on the African continent, has largely legalized abortion. Among the groups analyzed by Forbes142 offered services in the country, many promising hand delivery of pills or herbal remedies.
Also read: United States: Google shows verified abortion clinics in search results
