What Happens When Midwives Lead Abortion Care: Lessons from Sweden

International Confederation of Midwives
9 February 2026

In Sweden, abortion is widely understood as essential healthcare. What is less well known is that this sits on decades of research and early innovation in abortion care, and how more recent changes have enabled midwives to become central to making care timely, safe, and accessible.

We talked to Professor Kristina Gemzell Danielsson, Head of the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at Karolinska Institutet, and Obstetrics and senior consultant in gynaecology at Karolinska University Hospital. She is one of the main investigators behind the research that has driven Sweden’s shift towards task sharing in abortion care. She walked us through what abortion care looks like in Sweden today, how midwives are now leading the way, and why this model matters far beyond Sweden.

Continued:https://internationalmidwives.org/what-happens-when-midwives-lead-abortion-care-lessons-from-sweden/

09.02.2026

Commentary

Kristina Gemzell Danielsson

midwives and abortion

After Years of Silence, Texas Medical Board Issues Training for Doctors on How to Legally Provide Abortions

The course includes examples of when abortion is permitted to protect the life of the patient, but many experts say the complications women face in pregnancy are impossible to capture in a brief presentation.

by Cassandra Jaramillo, Kavitha Surana and Lizzie Presser – ProPublica
February 5, 2026

For the first time since Texas criminalized abortion, the state’s medical regulator is instructing doctors on when they can legally terminate a pregnancy to protect the life of the patient — guidance physicians have long sought as women died and doctors feared imprisonment for intervening.

The new training from the Texas Medical Board comes nearly five years after the state passed its strict abortion ban in 2021, threatening doctors with severe penalties. ProPublica’s reporting has shown that pregnancy became far more dangerous in the state after the law took effect: Sepsis rates spiked for women suffering a pregnancy loss, as did emergency room visits in which miscarrying patients needed a blood transfusion; at least four women in the state died after they didn’t receive timely reproductive care. More than a hundred OB-GYNs said the state’s abortion ban was to blame.

Continued: https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-medical-board-abortion-training-doctors

Ipas evidence in action 2025: Research insights on abortion access, quality, and equity

January 28, 2026

Evidence matters most when it helps people act. In 2025, Ipas and partners published research that turns lived realities into practical lessons for improving abortion access and care, especially for people who are too often pushed to the margins.

Across 17 countries and three languages, these studies offer crucial information and methodologies to help push for better standards, smarter investments, and fewer barriers between people and essential health care.

Here’s an overview of our 2025 research you can use in advocacy and action.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/ipas-evidence-in-action-2025-research-insights-on-abortion-access-quality-and-equity/

28.01.2026

Research

Ipas

quality of abortion care

self-managed abortion

telemedicine abortion

Fragile and conflict-affected settings: post-abortion care generally satisfactory, but communication needs to be improved

Quality of care is not enough without dialogue with women.

19 January 2026

The AMoCo* study continues to highlight persistent challenges related to abortion care and complications in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Conducted in two hospitals in Bangui (Central African Republic) and Jigawa State (Nigeria), it reveals that a significant proportion of patients seeking post-abortion care experienced poor communication with healthcare staff and mixed experiences in terms of respect and dignity. Women with less education and adolescents appear to be particularly vulnerable. This study, which had already revealed that severe post-abortion complications were five to seven times more likely in these two hospitals, demonstrates the importance of listening to women, giving them the opportunity to ask questions, and ensuring their privacy. These elements are essential to ensuring quality care for all women, regardless of their age or level of education.

Continued: https://www.itg.be/en/health-stories/articles/post-abortion-care-fragile-and-conflict-affected-settings

Bristol abortion clinic praised for outstanding service

Staff there are caring, safe and empathetic, a new report says
Angus McIntyre

08 Jan 2026

An abortion clinic in Bristol has been rated 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the highest rating available.

The CQC ranked the MSI Reproductive Services Treatment Centre in Stoke Gifford outstanding overall and in three of five individually-assessed fields: safety, effectiveness and care. The clinic, which services patients across the South West, was rated 'good' in the responsiveness and leadership categories.

Continued; https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-abortion-clinic-praised-outstanding-10741707

08.01.2026

News

British Pregnancy Advisory Service

Care Quality Commission

Debi Hammond

Emma May

MSI Reproductive Choices

New Zealand – Abortion numbers rise since decriminalisation and launch of telehealth services

3 January 2026
Pretoria Gordon

A sexual and reproductive health specialist says a recent rise in abortion numbers reflects improved access to care rather than an increase in demand.

There has been a 37 percent increase since abortion was decriminalised in New Zealand - from 12,948 in 2019 to 17,785 in 2024.

The Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977 and the Crimes Act 1961 were amended in March 2020.

Continued: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/583115/abortion-numbers-rise-since-decriminalisation-and-launch-of-telehealth-services

03.01.2026

News

Contraception Sterilization and Abortion Act of 1977

Crimes Act 1961

DECIDE

Magma Healthcare

Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa

Understanding Abortion Care: WHO Guidelines, Global Health Impact, and Access Challenges

January 3, 2026

Abortion remains one of the most common medical procedures worldwide, yet access to safe, respectful, and evidence-based care varies dramatically across different regions. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides comprehensive guidelines to ensure that abortion services meet international health standards while protecting women’s rights and wellbeing. This article examines the current state of abortion care globally, drawing from WHO’s latest recommendations and research.

The Global Scale of Abortion - The statistics surrounding pregnancy and abortion reveal a significant public health reality. Approximately 121 million pregnancies occur unintentionally each year worldwide. Of these unintended pregnancies, 60 percent end in induced abortion. Overall, three out of every ten pregnancies globally conclude with an induced abortion, making it a routine aspect of reproductive healthcare that affects millions of women annually.

Continued: https://observervoice.com/understanding-abortion-care-who-guidelines-global-health-impact-and-access-challenges-in-2025-170509/

03.01.2026

Commentary

barriers to abortion

BRIDGES initiative

Global Abortion Policies Database

maternal mortality and morbidity

Sustainable Development Goals

World Health Organization

New Zealand – ‘Unreasonable and inconsistent’: GP faulted over handling of student’s abortion request

Tracy Neal
Mon, 15 Dec 2025

A pregnant woman was left distressed and embarrassed when the doctor she went to see about an abortion consulted her in the busy waiting room area of the clinic.

The woman was in the early stages of an unexpected pregnancy when she visited the GP clinic in August 2021, in the thick of Covid-19 lockdowns, to request a referral for a termination of pregnancy.

The international student, described as having “very limited English”, was also told to “make an appointment after lockdown” when it was not known how long lockdown would continue.

Continued: https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/gp-criticised-for-discussing-abortion-process-at-clinic-front-desk-hdc-report/

15.12.2025

A Small Illinois City at the Center of a Seismic Shift in Abortion Access

Carbondale, Ill., a liberal enclave within driving distance of 10 states with abortion bans, has become a hub for the procedure. Last year there were nearly 11,000 abortions in this city of 21,000.

By Elizabeth Williamson
Photographs by Julia Rendleman
Dec. 7, 2025

The cars and pickup trucks from Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Indiana and Mississippi started arriving early in the morning at the Alamo Women’s Clinic in Carbondale, Ill. Men were not allowed inside, so most waited in the parking lot, scrolling or dozing, exhausted after driving through the night.

Abortion is legal in Illinois, but the state is surrounded by others that have largely banned the procedure in the three years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. As a result, Illinois now leads the nation in out-of-state abortion patients. Carbondale, a college town in Illinois’s southern tip within driving distance of 10 states with abortion bans, has become a major abortion hub.

Continued: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/us/politics/abortion-carbondale.html

Canada – Pro-choice group warns of new abortion ‘disinformation’ on social media

Recently published videos show the co-founder of a pro-life group posing as someone interested in accessing an abortion, including at a clinic in Toronto

Gabe Oatley
Nov 21, 2025

One of the country’s leading pro-choice organizations is raising alarm about a new social media campaign it says is distorting public perception of abortion access in Canada.

Over the past 10 days, RightNow, a pro-life advocacy organization, has released a series of videos on social media showing the group’s co-founder, Alissa Golob, allegedly speaking with staff at four Canadian clinics in 2023 about getting an abortion.

Continued: https://www.torontotoday.ca/local/health/abortion-disinformation-social-media-pro-choice-group-warning-11517455

21.11.2025