“Before transferring the money, I wanted details on how to take the medication, but he didn’t respond. When I called back, the phone was off, so I concluded that it was likely a fake page.”
A 36-year-old woman, a mother, became pregnant for the fourth time due to a contraceptive failure. Her husband is 46 years old, with their eldest child being 14, the middle child 13, and the youngest 7. After giving birth to the third child, she had been taking birth control pills continuously and then switched to condoms for 2 months. However, she experienced an allergic reaction to the condoms, causing irritation and pain at the vaginal opening and inside the vagina, so she stopped using condoms, and her partner ejaculated outside. Her period was delayed for almost 2 months.
She and her partner were worried and stressed, discussing that they were not ready for this pregnancy. They searched online and found a website selling abortion pills, giving them hope, and called to inquire. However, she immediately felt that it was a scam, sensing that the person was not genuine. He only asked about how many months pregnant she was, and when she said 2 months, he told her to use 6 pills. When she asked for detailed instructions on how to use the medication, he evaded the question, telling her to read the page where he claimed the details were provided. After reading, she was supposed to call back to get his account number and transfer the money, but she didn’t transfer because she initially thought he might be busy and not ready to talk, so he wanted her to research the information herself. When she called again to ask for details, he couldn’t answer and then hung up.
She and her husband accidentally met with doctors and nurses from the RSA network and shared their story to seek advice and assistance. When she started to tell her story… what she expressed from the depths of her feelings, I gathered that:
- The questions she was worried and curious about were questions that doctors and nurses could answer, but the website selling the pills did not answer at all.
- The consultation provided by the medical staff was detailed and clear, making her feel relieved and at ease, not worried about safety, unlike what the pill-selling website told her.
- She felt assured that she was not being scammed and was confident in the method of terminating the pregnancy by a doctor because there was follow-up, and there were phone numbers and a line to contact if there were any problems or questions later.
- She wanted assurance and trust from the doctor.
- She believed that she was not the first to call the pill-selling website and be scammed, but if she was anxious and didn’t think it through, she would have quickly transferred the money to him. If she didn’t have her family, she would have transferred the money to him already due to haste and desperation.
In situations of unplanned pregnancy, women can access consultation services and receive convenient and safe assistance by calling the consultation line 1663. I urge everyone to help spread this information.
Story by Dr. Ruangkit Sirikanchanakul, RSA Network Coordinator