Can She make her safe choice in times of Covid-19?

Can She make her safe choice in times of Covid-19?

14 April 2020
Author: Saskia Hüsken | Function: Senior Technical Advisor

In early March, as we marked International Women’s Day and SheDecides Day, with various marches and community outreach activities for women’s rights, the Covid-19 virus started to spread across the world. Now that infection rates are soaring, death figures are rising in Asia, Europe, and the US, an increasing number of countries, also in Africa, are now in complete or partial lock-down. The need to protect women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and their access to safe abortion services becomes more dire than ever. Not only is abortion regularly marked as "non-essential", for example in several states in the US, but the pressure on service providers worldwide is severely increased due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Since mid-2018, Rutgers is implementing the programme She Makes Her Safe Choice, funded by the Dreamfund of the Nationale Postcode Loterij and in partnership with DKT International and several other partners. The programme applies a multi-component approach and works to prevent unsafe abortions in different geographic locations and at various levels, with complementary activities on Supply, Demand, and Support. While it is early days and everyone is struggling how to deal with the Covid-19 crisis, it is clear that also for the She Makes Her Safe Choice programme, impacts will be felt and the reality on the ground will forever be changed.

Continued: https://www.rutgers.international/news/blog-archive/can-she-make-her-safe-choice-times-covid-19?destination=SafeChoiceNews%3F

USA – Doctors call for restrictions to be lifted on abortion pills so patients don’t have to travel for care during the coronavirus pandemic

Doctors call for restrictions to be lifted on abortion pills so patients don't have to travel for care during the coronavirus pandemic

Shira Feder
Apr 6, 2020

On March 26, Dr. Jamila Perritt performed an abortion. It was a few weeks into America's coronavirus outbreak, and one-in-three Americans were under orders to stay home and shelter in place. Over 80,000 Americans had been infected with the new coronavirus, Congress was debating a trillion dollar stimulus bill to boost an economy that had come to a screeching halt, and only workers deemed essential were going to work.

That included Perritt, a doctor who provides abortion care in the Washington, DC, area. Her patient had an ultrasound weeks prior, revealing that the fetus had a genetic abnormality. The woman was trying to schedule an appointment at a DC hospital to have it handled, but hadn't been able to get in.

Continued: https://www.insider.com/abortion-providers-pivot-to-telemedicine-during-coronavirus-2020-3

Liberia – Sweden Underscores Importance of Sexual, Reproductive Health

Sweden Underscores Importance of Sexual, Reproductive Health

By Alvin Worzi
September 9, 2019

Elisabeth Harleman, Counsellor, Head of Development Cooperation and Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Sweden in Monrovia, has underscored the importance of sexual and reproductive health for everyone’s well-being, especially young people.

Madam Harleman made the remark on Thursday, September 5, 2019 at a program marking the launch of DKT International Liberia, an international charitable non-profit organization that promotes family planning and HIV prevention through social marketing.

Continued: https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/sweden-underscores-importance-of-sexual-reproductive-health/

Unsafe Abortions Soar…In Ghana

Unsafe Abortions Soar…In Ghana

31-Oct-2018

Medical doctors in Ghana are worried over increasing unsafe abortion cases in the country.

About 45 per cent of abortions in Ghana remain unsafe.

Continued: http://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/local/social/201810/366699.php

31.10.2018

Junior Doctors Association

maternal mortality

World Health Organisation

Ghana – 53,114 abortion cases recorded in government hospitals in 2017

53,114 abortion cases recorded in government hospitals in 2017

29 October 2018

Medical Doctors in Ghana are worried over increasing unsafe abortion cases in the country. Almost 45 percent of abortions in Ghana remain unsafe amidst high number of abortion cases.

The Ghana Health Service has indicated that a total of 53,114 abortion cases were carried out in 2017 alone in government hospitals across the country. Globally, 25 million unsafe abortion cases occur every year, according to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Continued: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/health/53-114-abortion-cases-recorded-in-government-hospitals-in-2017-696181

Ghana: Side effects of abusing abortion, contraceptive pills peak among teenagers

Side effects of abusing abortion, contraceptive pills peak among teenagers

Monday, 26 February 2018

Health experts are reporting rising incidence of adverse and injurious drug reactions among teenage girls who abuse contraceptives in a bid to prevent pregnancy.

Prolonged use of abortion and emergency contraceptive pills, among other factors, poses a health risk to persons seeking self-prescribed family planning methods.

Continued: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/health/Side-effects-of-abusing-abortion-contraceptive-pills-peak-among-teenagers-629350

26.02.2018

emergency contraception

Joyce Kyeremateng Abebrese

New Study Reveals 214 Million Women Have an Unmet Need for Modern Contraception

New Study Reveals 214 Million Women Have an Unmet Need for Modern Contraception

DKT International highlights World Contraception Day as increased education and access to reproductive health services remains crucial

Sep 25, 2017

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- New data released by The Guttmacher Institute shows that of the 885 million women living in developing countries hoping to avoid pregnancy, 214 million of those are not using contraception. DKT International, one of the largest providers of contraceptives and family planning services in the developing world, stresses the importance of World Contraception Day (September 26), held annually to raise awareness and improved access of contraceptives for women worldwide.

Continued at source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-study-reveals-214-million-women-have-an-unmet-need-for-modern-contraception-300525053.html

25.09.2017

manual vacuum aspiration

unintended pregnancy

Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo

Global

Mozambique

Contraception

Ipas and DKT International Partnership Expands Access to Safe Abortion and Reduces Associated Maternal Deaths for Millions in 100+ Countries Worldwide

Ipas and DKT International Partnership Expands Access to Safe Abortion and Reduces Associated Maternal Deaths for Millions in 100+ Countries Worldwide

Ipas Licenses Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) Technology to DKT International

Washington, D.C (PRWEB) May 10, 2017

Ipas and DKT International are pleased to announce an exclusive partnership in which the Ipas Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) technology will be licensed to DKT for global distribution, furthering their joint mission of providing safe and high-quality family planning and abortion care for the estimated 56 million women worldwide who choose to have an abortion each year. Formerly, distribution of the Ipas MVA technology was overseen by WomanCare Global.

“We look forward to expanding on the great work of Ipas and WomanCare Global, which have provided over 1 million reusable MVA kits and served more than 32 million women since 2009,” says Christopher Purdy, President and CEO of DKT International.

Continued at source: DKT International: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/05/prweb14321090.htm

10.05.2017