Plastic surgery is increasingly popular in the Philippines, but new legislation mandates that women considering a cosmetic surgery procedure must first undergo a pregnancy test. The bill comes after some pregnancies unexpectedly terminated after plastic surgery procedures were performed.

New legislation in the Philippines requires women who want any kind of cosmetic surgery to first get a pregnancy test.

The bill was authored in light of reports that cosmetic procedures have led to miscarriages among women who didn’t know they were pregnant, as well as reports indicating that some women who undergo surgery are hoping to induce an abortion.

The new policy requires all female plastic surgery patients to take a pregnancy test administered by the plastic surgeon or by another practitioner who can verify the results. The measure covers a wider surgical range than many would expect, but the emphasis is on procedures that require anesthesia, such as liposuction, breast augmentation, tummy tucks and buttock augmentation.

Women in the Philippines are now also required to test for pregnancy even if the cosmetic work is more minor, such as a facial chemical peel. According to the bill, a surgeon will be held criminally liable if he doesn’t make the patient aware of all the bodily risks associated with the cosmetic procedure.

Penalties for surgeons who violate the bill range from a reprimand upon the first offense to hefty fines and a 30-day suspension of the surgeon’s license. And if the doctor performs an operation that actually results in the death of an unborn child, he faces a higher fine, plus suspension of his license for a year or longer.