Distraught at the idea of having a new child, Asmaa explored every avenue to have an abortion. But in Morocco, this act remains illegal and taboo and she found herself seeking help on social networks, where trafficking in abortion pills is rife. “Affordable prices”, “Goods from Europe, guaranteed effectiveness”, “Shameful pregnancy, correct your mistake”: on Facebook, anonymous Internet users offer tablets containing misoprostol, a substance which triggers uterine contractions and the expulsion of the embryo. These drugs, Artotec and Cytotec, intended to treat rheumatism and ulcers, were withdrawn from sale in 2018 in Morocco (as in France) because they were diverted for voluntary terminations of pregnancy (IVG), outside of any medical monitoring. Moroccan law only authorizes abortion in cases of danger to the health of the woman, who otherwise faces six months to two years in prison for an abortion. The person who helps her risks between one and five years of imprisonment, double if the patient dies. Despite the ban, the pills continue to circulate in Morocco where they are imported or stolen from hospitals, then sold at more than ten times the price in countries where they are over the counter. In April, three people, including a nurse, were arrested in Kenitra (north of Rabat) for alleged drug trafficking and illegal abortion, according to local media. According to the Moroccan Association for the Fight against Clandestine Abortion (Amlac), 600 to 800 abortions are carried out clandestinely every day. Asmaa, a 37-year-old engineer, was referred to Facebook where, according to her gynecologist, other women had found tablets. “I was a little suspicious,” she told AFP, preferring to keep her name quiet given the sensitivity of the subject. “There are a lot of scams, no medical follow-up, you don’t know what to do.” Prison Sellers on the Facebook Marketplace page ask for 1,500 or 2,000 dirhams (140 and 184 euros) for packets of tablets, without specifying the dosage or asking about the number of weeks of pregnancy.
