July 25: A baby was found abandoned in a toilet at a gas station in Khlong Phon Subdistrict, Khlong Thom District, Krabi Province. Police found an 18-year-old woman wearing blood-stained clothes looking exhausted, traveling on a Phuket – Hat Yai bus. She was a student returning home but had stomach pain along the way, so she went to the bathroom and gave birth. However, she was not ready to take care of the baby, so she decided to leave the baby in the toilet.
From this news, Uncle Doctor met with “Kwan,” a pseudonymous woman who shared her story of an unplanned pregnancy.
“Kwan,” 25 years old, has a 1-year-4-month-old child with her ex-boyfriend. She is now seeing a new man. When having sex, she sometimes takes emergency contraceptive pills and uses condoms about 80% of the time. Her last period was on June 19, lasting for 3 days.
On July 20, Kwan went for a urine pregnancy test at a clinic and found out she was pregnant, but she was not ready. She immediately consulted a friend and was advised about a pharmacy where others had successfully used abortion pills. She quickly went to this unnamed pharmacy, which had a sign saying “Medicine sold by a pharmacist.”
Kwan: “I’d like to buy abortion pills.”
Seller: “Have you taken a pregnancy test yet?”
Kwan: “Yes, I have. The doctor said I’m 4 weeks pregnant.”
Seller: “There are 10-set and 15-set options.”
Kwan: “Which one is better?”
Seller: “I recommend the 15-set for sure results because it has helped many. If you feel very tired or vomit a lot, you can take it every 3 hours, but for sure results, take one set every hour.”
Kwan then bought 15 sets of abortion pills for 1,300 baht and started taking the first set at 7 PM. It consisted of 6 capsule pills followed by a 30 cc bottle of black liquid. After taking the pills, Kwan felt sleepy. At 9 PM, she took the second set, which was 12 pills without the liquid. Ten minutes later, she felt dizzy and sweaty. She slept until 11 PM and took a set similar to the first one. Shortly after sleeping, she woke up vomiting black liquid continuously, sweating, with chest tightness, shortness of breath, and extreme fatigue, but no abdominal pain indicating a miscarriage. She was afraid to continue taking the pills due to fear of danger.
On July 21, in the afternoon, Kwan saw a doctor and said, “I thought I was going to die last night.” She explained that she didn’t consult a doctor about her pregnancy initially but bought abortion pills thinking it would be easy since she had just missed her period.
An ultrasound that day did not show an amniotic sac, but a urine test confirmed a mild pregnancy. The doctor scheduled a follow-up on July 29, which revealed a 15 mm amniotic sac in the uterus, equivalent to a 4-week-6-day pregnancy.
Kwan shared that her first child was also unplanned, but she didn’t want an abortion because her boyfriend promised to take responsibility and help raise the child. However, when she was 4 months pregnant, he got involved with another woman and didn’t take responsibility for her and the child. Kwan learned from this and sought a solution for her second pregnancy.
“I’m not ready in terms of work, finances, or relationship. I can see that we are not ready to care for a child. Although it’s sad, it’s necessary because we have to move forward and have a future. I have to raise another child.”
Uncle Doctor praised her for seeking advice quickly, even though she had just missed her period. Kwan then referred to the recent news, saying, “Why don’t women address the issue of unplanned pregnancy as soon as they realize their period is late?”
She then shared a story about a friend who got pregnant, and her boyfriend was drafted into the military, so she wanted an abortion. When she inquired about the price, it was over a thousand baht, but she didn’t have the money, so she waited to save up. She thought that whether the pregnancy was small or large, it could still be terminated. By the time her boyfriend gave her the money, she was 7 months pregnant. During the first abortion attempt, a fluid was injected into the uterine cavity, but it didn’t result in a miscarriage. She then bought pills to insert into the vagina and miscarried at home in her bedroom. Afterward, she wrapped the baby in cloth and buried it in the backyard. She bled for a month but didn’t dare see a doctor, waiting for it to heal on its own.
Another story involved an 18-year-old junior who studied and worked at night. When she got pregnant, she said she would have an abortion when she had time. At 6 months pregnant, she bought pills for an abortion, but there was heavy bleeding. During the miscarriage, a baby’s leg protruded, making it difficult. She called Kwan for help. Seeing the heavy bleeding, Kwan quickly called the 1669 hotline and followed her to the hospital. The doctor said the junior had a hemorrhage, was very pale, and might die. She had to stay in the hospital for 2 weeks.
Kwan’s perspective on why women don’t address the issue promptly and let the pregnancy progress is something society should consider: 1) Lack of money 2) No one to accompany them to the doctor 3) No one to provide reassuring advice 4) Fear of asking friends or acquaintances 5) Fear of others finding out 6) Not knowing where to get help to terminate the pregnancy 7) Embarrassment 8) Difficulty explaining to the doctor 9) Fear the doctor won’t perform the abortion 10) Fear the doctor will ask why they need an abortion and why they didn’t prevent it
Not wanting to explain or be reminded, they choose to buy pills at a store or online. “We think it’s better to consult a doctor than to buy abortion pills at a pharmacy or online because some people don’t want anyone to know. We can tell the doctor to keep it confidential. Seeing a doctor takes a little time but is safer,” Kwan concluded.
Uncle Doctor believes that what we can offer women as fellow humans is trust, confidence, understanding, and assistance, which everyone can do because society should be a shield for her, allowing her to make the best decisions for herself.
With love and care,
Dr. Rueangkit Sirikanchanakul