Ipas among international experts conferring in South Africa on medication abortion

Ipas staff, board members and consultants are among about 120 international reproductive-health experts convening this week in Johannesburg, South Africa, to share information about policies, programs and services related to provision of medication abortion-a relatively new technique for pregnancy termination with great potential for improving women's access to safe abortion care.

Also known as medical abortion, pharmaceutical abortion, the abortion pill or RU-486, medication abortion involves administration of pharmaceutical agents to bring about expulsion of uterine contents. A growing body of evidence from around the world confirms that the technique is safe and effective through nine weeks of pregnancy, and protocols for later use are evolving.

The Johannesburg conference was organized by the International Consortium for Medical Abortion (ICMA), a three-year-old coalition of organizations and individuals that works to promote access to medication abortion within the framework of support for safe abortion worldwide. Its work includes advocacy; information dissemination; support for guidelines, protocols, training curricula, information and introductory strategies for medication abortion within the context of comprehensive reproductive health services; and making recommendations on programmatic and research needs related to the method.

Participants at the Oct. 17-20 meeting will review the history, development and availability of medication-abortion regimens, as well as current research, legal and policy issues.

"Experience with medication abortion is growing around the world," said Ipas Senior Advisor Ann Leonard. "This conference offers a wonderful opportunity to learn from that experience, and to share it with a larger group of health professionals and others who play a critical role in making the method available to more women in their communities."

Leonard, a founding member of ICMA, said that ensuring women's ability to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights requires enhancing their access to safe abortion care, including making services available as close as possible to their homes and giving them a choice of treatment options. Medication abortion is one of two abortion techniques recommended by the World Health Organization; the other is vacuum aspiration. Medication abortion is a less invasive method than vacuum aspiration and offers women greater privacy.

"It is just as safe and effective as aspiration, and many women prefer it," Leonard said.

Ipas staff and consultants from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America are taking part in the conference this week.

For more information, contact media@ipas.org