US anti-abortion group targets Ukrainian refugees

Heartbeat International is appealing for money to fund its anti-abortion network in Ukraine and eastern Europe

Diana Cariboni
20 June 2022

US anti-abortion group Heartbeat International is taking advantage of Russia’s war in Ukraine to fundraise for ‘crisis pregnancy centres’ targeting refugees, openDemocracy has learnt.

Reproductive health experts fear the group could use its centres in Ukraine, Poland, Hungary and Romania to gain access to vulnerable people and persuade them to continue with unwanted pregnancies.

Continued: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/heartbeat-exploits-ukraine-fundraising-anti-abortion-rape/

Abortion is essential healthcare and women’s health must be prioritized over politics

International Safe Abortion Day
28 September 2021
United Nations Human Rights, Office of the High Commissioner

On the International Safe Abortion Day, a group of UN experts* stress that abortion is essential health care and a human right. Denial of access to abortion services jeopardizes a person's physical and mental health and takes away their autonomy and agency. It unjustly denies them the freedom to live with dignity and on equal terms with other human beings while exposing them to various forms of violence and oppression.

Furthermore, and as Human Rights bodies have long acknowledged, the denial of abortion services through the criminalization of abortion or through barriers and delays in access to lawful services can in certain circumstances constitute cruel, degrading, and inhumane treatment, may amount to torture and could lead to arbitrary detention.

Continued: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27549&LangID=E

UN experts condemn Texas abortion law as sex discrimination ‘at its worst’

Exclusive: human rights lawyer criticizes the supreme court and says new law will ‘make abortion unsafe and deadly’

Ed Pilkington in New York
Tue 7 Sep 2021

United Nations human rights monitors have strongly condemned the state of Texas for its new anti-abortion law, which they say violates international law by denying women control over their own bodies and endangering their lives.

In damning remarks to the Guardian, Melissa Upreti, the chair of the UN’s working group on discrimination against women and girls, criticized the new Texas law, SB 8, as “structural sex and gender-based discrimination at its worst”.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/07/un-experts-condemn-texas-anti-abortion-law

07.09.2021

UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls

From ‘Conscientious Objection’ to ‘Conscientiously Committed’ – How OBGYNS can advocate for bodily autonomy in access to safe abortion

1 September 2021
FIGO - Advocating for Safe Abortion Project, Committee on Safe Abortion

In this FIGO Long Read, we provide a round-up of a recent roundtable discussion hosted by FIGO's Advocating for Safe Abortion Project (ASAP) and Committee on Safe Abortion. Together with partners, we explored the critical issue of conscientious objection and its impact on the availability of and access to legal and safe abortion services.

Quote by Laura Gil: Sadly ‘conscientious objection’ has become a widespread barrier for many people to access the care that they need. It is very common to hear that women or girls cannot get an abortion on time, got an unsafe abortion, or didn't get one at all because of ‘conscientious objection‘ from the available personnel.

Continued: https://www.figo.org/news/conscientious-objection-conscientiously-committed-how-obgyns-can-advocate-bodily-autonomy

UK-based doctor under investigation over abortion ‘reversal’ medication

Dr Eileen Reilly allegedly offered to prescribe ‘unproven and experimental’ treatment promoted by US anti-abortion activists

Jessica Glenza
Thu 27 May 2021

A UK-based doctor is under investigation for offering to prescribe abortion “reversal” medication, an “unproven and experimental” treatment promoted by US-based anti-abortion activists.

The doctor allegedly offered to prescribe pessaries to an undercover investigator with the advocacy group openDemocracy. The undercover investigator was connected to the doctor after calling a US-based Christian hotline run by Heartbeat International, a large anti-abortion group.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/27/uk-doctor-abortion-reversal-medication

Anti-Reproductive Rights Doctors Are Promoting a Treatment to “Reverse” Abortion

BY Claire Provost, openDemocracy
PUBLISHED March 28, 2021

Doctors in at least a dozen countries, supported by U.S. Christian Right activists, are providing women with a “dangerous” and controversial treatment that claims to “reverse” medical abortions, openDemocracy can reveal today.

Women’s health and rights activists have called for urgent investigation by authorities into these findings – which were described as “horrific” especially during the pandemic when it’s critical for people to trust healthcare providers.

Continued: https://truthout.org/articles/anti-reproductive-rights-doctors-are-promoting-a-treatment-to-reverse-abortion/

Revealed: Doctors worldwide offer ‘dangerous’ treatment to ‘reverse’ abortions

Health experts call for action from regulators to protect women from spread of controversial method supported by US Christian right activists

Claire Provost
25 March 2021

Doctors in at least a dozen countries, supported by US Christian Right activists, are providing women with a “dangerous” and controversial treatment that claims to “reverse” medical abortions, openDemocracy can reveal today.

Continued: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/revealed-doctors-offer-dangerous-treatment-to-reverse-abortions/

UN statement: Poland must not further restrict sexual and reproductive health and rights

POLAND – UN WORKING GROUP STATEMENT: Poland must not further restrict sexual and reproductive health and rights, say UN experts
by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion

Geneva (22 March 2018) – A group of United Nations human rights experts has called on the Polish parliament to reject a new draft bill entitled “Stop Abortion” which will be debated this week and which risks causing serious damage to women’s health and lives, and violating Poland’s international human rights obligations.

The United Nations Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice has called on the Polish Parliament to reject a draft bill up for consideration this week that would ban abortion in situations where there is a severe fetal anomaly, one of only three legal grounds for termination of pregnancy available in a country that already has one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws.

Continued: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/poland-un-working-group-statement-poland-must-not-further-restrict-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-say-un-experts/