What do a purple cartoon cat and abortion have in common? Nothing – and that is the point, say the women behind Jacarandas, a Colombian abortion helpline. Determined to set themselves apart from more traditional reproductive health organisations, Jacarandas commissions street and graphic artists to create eye-catching illustrations – most recently a cartoon feline called Gataranda, inspired by the team’s much-loved office pet.

The aim is not to make light of abortion but to appeal to the teenagers and young women who use Jacarandas’ services. “A lot of people do not connect with [an image of] the uterus on fire, so we thought ‘what can we do to connect more with young women?’” says Carolina Benítez Mendoza, the deputy director.

“We try to stay current and make things that are fun; we adapt our vibe for whatever’s trending. We don’t want to be that feminist organisation that’s had the same logo since 1995. Make abortion cats mainstream!”

The strategy is working. Jacarandas is the most-followed abortion account on social media in the Spanish-speaking world, with nearly 400,000 followers on TikTok, and 312,000 on Instagram. Since it started it has received messages from more than 26,300 people, and in 2025 provided advice to about 700 users a month. Abortion is legal up to 24 weeks in Colombia, but most users contact Jacarandas as soon as they miss a period, and 93% have an abortion before 12 weeks.