Access to Medical Abortion and Self-Managed Abortion: FIGO and Partners Share Key Insights with the United Nations

FIGO
22 April 2021

On 18th March 2021, FIGO – in collaboration with the Centre for Reproductive Rights and Ipas – organised a discussion on ‘Access to medical abortion and self –managed abortion. Key insights from health workers and human rights advocates: on guaranteeing human rights’ with United Nations treaty monitoring committee members and Special Procedures mandate holders.

These elected UN experts have a responsibility to interpret human rights treaties, which includes monitoring states’ compliance with their legally binding human rights obligations and recommendations from UN experts. This includes reproductive rights and access to safe abortion. The UN experts do this by conducting fact-finding missions and issuing progress reports and statements, in addition to conducting review meetings with governments to assess their progress.

Continued: https://www.figo.org/news/access-medical-abortion-and-self-managed-abortion

LIVE on April 7: The other health crisis—breaking the taboo on abortion

The webinar will be live-streamed on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch

Written by Melissa Vida
Posted 31 March 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is not the only health hazard affecting people—there's one that's way more persistent. This World Health Day, let's break the taboo topics of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions.

It is no small feat—in places where it is illegal to terminate a pregnancy, unsafe abortions cause about 30,000 deaths each year, and numerous health complications.

Continued: https://globalvoices.org/2021/03/31/live-on-april-7-the-other-health-crisis-breaking-the-taboo-on-abortion/

31.03.2021

Film, Art, Books

abortion in a pandemic

Covid-19 and abortion

Debora Diniz

Dominika Lasota

Emilie Palamy Pradichit

World Health Organization

Global

Health

Human Rights

Building bridges: OBGYNs engage with traditional healers to strengthen access to safe abortion in Africa

11 March 2021

As part of FIGO’s ongoing Advocating for Safe Abortion Project (ASAP), three of our member societies shared their experiences engaging with traditional healers and the lessons they have learned from these activities and engagements.

‘Traditional healer’ is used to describe a person who provides counselling and/or herbal remedies to community members for an array of health issues. This may include supporting women and girls with their pregnancies, labour and reproductive health concerns, as well as providing the community with guidance on birth, wedding and death rituals, and other community-related affairs.

Continued: https://www.figo.org/news/building-bridges-obgyns-engage-traditional-healers-strengthen-access-safe-abortion-africa

Practicing self-care: empowering women to manage their own health

Médecins Sans Frontières
4 March 2021

We all want the power to invest in our wellbeing, to be able to take care of our emotional, physical and mental health. But without reliable information and appropriate tools, reasonable options and adequate support, it’s not always possible.

Self-care is changing the face of healthcare. It focuses on equipping and entrusting people to take a central role in their own health. For women, this can involve an important shift to being able to make decisions about their own care, when they may not have had this autonomy before.

Continued: https://www.msf.org/empowering-women-practice-self-care

04.03.2021

Commentary

Featured

abortions self-care

Covid-19 and abortion

Médecins Sans Frontières

self-care

self-care interventions

self-managed abortion

sexual and reproductive health

World Health Organization

Global

Health

Human Rights

Safe abortions will save our future

March 1, 2021
By Alvin Mwangi

Every year almost half of all pregnancies – 121 million – are unintended. This is according to the World Health Organization report that was released in September last year.

Between 2015 and 2019, on average, 73.3 million induced (safe and unsafe) abortions occurred worldwide each year.

Continued: https://citizentv.co.ke/blogs/opinion-safe-abortions-will-save-our-future-7442434/

01.03.2021

Featured

Opinion

Alvin Mwangi

Centre for Reproductive Rights

Evelyne Opondo

Kenya abortion guidelines

She Decides Day

World Health Organization

What Is The Global Gag Rule & How Does It Affect Abortion Access Around The World?

Alice Broster
Feb 8, 2021

It’s been estimated that between 2015 and 2019 around 121 million unintended
pregnancies occurred around the globe. Of those, 61% ended in abortion. This
equates to around 73 million abortions every year. This can mean very different
things depending on where you live. For a termination to be considered safe it
should be carried out by someone who is trained and in an environment that’s
clean. For many people, this isn’t an option. So, what is the global gag rule?
It’s been reported that President Biden will end the U.S. government's efforts
to restrict access to reproductive rights and healthcare around the world
through the Mexico City Policy, AKA the global gag rule.

Continued: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicebroster/2021/02/08/what-is-the-global-gag-rule--how-does-it-affect-abortion-access-around-the-world/

India – Medical board on abortion ‘unfeasible’, says study

82% of obstetrics-gynaecology, paediatric and other specialist posts vacant

Jagriti Chandra
JANUARY 31, 2021

A panel of doctors to decide on termination of pregnancy beyond 24 weeks as proposed in the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill, 2020, is “unfeasible” as 82% of these posts are lying vacant in the country, finds a new study.

The MTP Bill was passed in Lok Sabha in March 2020, and is likely to be brought before Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session.

Continued: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/medical-board-on-abortion-unfeasible-says-study/article33711124.ece

USA – Campus researchers find disinformation on medication abortion webpages

BY ERIC ROGERS | SENIOR STAFF
Jan 25, 2021

UC Berkeley School of Public Health researchers found that four out of the five most presented webpages in response to “abortion pill” queries on Google were less than 50% accurate, in a study published Thursday.

Of the top five most presented webpages, three were anti-abortion, according to lead researcher and first-year doctoral student Betsy Pleasants. She added that these anti-abortion webpages — American Pregnancy Association, Abortion Pill Rescue and Abortion Procedures — had “very limited” factual and clinical information and are covertly affiliated with religious organizations.

Continued: https://www.dailycal.org/2021/01/24/campus-researchers-find-disinformation-on-medication-abortion-webpages/

Fauci: US to repeal anti-abortion rule on aid and join Covax vaccine scheme

US medical adviser’s speech to WHO signals major turnaround on global health policy by Biden administration

Michael Safi, The Guardian
Thu 21 Jan 2021

The Biden administration will repeal anti-abortion restrictions on American aid and join the international vaccine-sharing scheme Covax, Anthony Fauci has announced in remarks signalling a major turnaround in US global health policy.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, announced the changes in a speech to the World Health Organization on Thursday morning after being chosen to head the US delegation to the global health group in one of the first acts of Joe Biden’s presidency.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/21/fauci-us-repeal-anti-abortion-rule-aid-join-covax-vaccine-scheme

21.01.2021

MSI Reproductive Choices

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

World Health Organization

Biden Administration Prepares To Overturn Trump Abortion Rule

January 21, 2021
Sarah McCammon

President Biden is preparing to reverse a Trump administration policy that prohibits U.S. funding for nongovernmental groups that provide or refer patients for abortions — the first of several moves reproductive rights advocates are hoping to see from the Biden administration.

In prepared remarks released by the White House on Thursday, Dr. Anthony Fauci tells the World Health Organization's executive board that Biden will soon revoke the Mexico City Policy "as part of his broader commitment to protect women's health and advance gender equality at home and around the world."

Continued: https://www.npr.org/sections/president-biden-takes-office/2021/01/21/959170860/biden-administration-prepares-to-overturn-trump-abortion-rule