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March 10 is the National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers. Abortion providers make reproductive choice possible for American women and often offer critical support and care. At Ipas, our mission is to make safe, legal, high-quality abortion care available for all women and we are privileged to work with skilled and compassionate abortion providers […]
Youth advocates from Ghana, Pakistan and the United States spoke at a briefing at the U.S. House of Representatives this week to call on the U.S. government to support programs and policies that expand young people’s access to comprehensive reproductive health care and information, including safe abortion and contraception. Specifically, panelists called on the U.S. […]
Gynecologists and obstetricians in Mexico vary greatly in their knowledge, attitudes and practices related to abortion—and would benefit from training on the legal grounds for abortion in Mexico and clinical best practices for abortion care, a new study finds. In addition, many OB-GYNs report feeling stigmatized for providing abortions. “Training on safe, legal abortion would […]
The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights has released General Comment No 2 to help governments interpret the rights to abortion and family planning under the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa. General Comment No 2 will help policymakers and advocates shape laws, policies and practices to comply with the Protocol—which is […]
One year after Bolivia’s highest court ruled to end the requirement for judicial authorization for women seeking legal abortion in Bolivia, Ipas and partners are hard at work ensuring law enforcement officers, health workers and women themselves know the legal grounds for accessing abortion care. Abortion is legal in Bolivia in the case of rape […]
Intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants—sometimes known as long-acting reversible contraception (LARC)—are the most effective methods of contraception and are safe to use immediately after an abortion. However, misconceptions about their safety, lack of experience using the methods, and supply problems can pose major barriers to women’s access. One innovative Ipas approach to better integrate IUDs […]
Alice Mark, MD, Ipas senior clinical affairs advisor Dr. Mark and her team of clinical experts recently published the third annual updated version of Ipas’s Clinical Updates in Reproductive Health. This resource offers providers, health systems staff, community-based organizations and policymakers the most up-to-date, evidence-based recommendations on comprehensive abortion care—including topics such as contraception, pain […]
In Malawi, abortion is legal only to save a woman’s life. Yet despite this restrictive law, women in Malawi seek abortion for a variety of reasons, including poverty, unplanned pregnancy or fear of being forced out of school. In a study published in International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, researchers report that more than […]
The second edition of Ipas’s Woman-Centered, Comprehensive Abortion Care training package is available for download and order. This second edition has been revised in accordance with the WHO’s Safe abortion: Technical and policy guidance for health systems, second edition (2012) and other current clinical and technical guidance and evidence. “For program managers, trainers or providers working […]
Spanish version now available also! Young people studying to be health professionals will become the leaders who shape women’s reproductive health policies and services in the years to come. The problem: Abortion is a critical but often neglected topic in health science education. Designed with and for health sciences students, Youth act for safe abortion: A […]
Abortion is legal in India yet despite that, one woman in India dies due to abortion-related complications every two hours. To raise awareness, the government of India has launched India’s first ever mass media campaign on making abortion safer; now live on close to 30 popular news and entertainment television channels and several radio stations […]
Mozambique has liberalized its abortion law with the goal of reducing maternal mortality by significantly broadening women’s access to safe abortion care. The groundbreaking legislation was approved by the Parliament in July as part of a new penal code and finalized on 18 December 2014, when President Armando Guebuza signed it into law. Women in […]
In 2006, in response to high maternal mortality and morbidity rates driven largely by unsafe abortion, the Ghanaian government implemented R3M, “Reducing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity,” a program to train providers in abortion care, meet women’s needs and increase access to family planning services. The program was launched by the Ministry of Health, in partnership […]
This week the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, UN Women and the African Union together released the Addis Ababa Declaration on Accelerating the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, the outcome document from the recent Ninth African Conference on Women (Beijing+20) that took place in November. The Declaration issued by African government ministers […]
Musicians in two African nations are joining forces with Ipas and other reproductive rights advocates to raise awareness about the dangers of unsafe abortion. In Malawi, the Coalition for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortion (COPUA) collaborated with 11 Malawian musical artists to produce Amayi Akuferanji, an album of reggae, hip-hop and songs from other musical […]
In countries like Malawi, where safe abortion is restricted or not available, women often turn to clandestine and unsafe abortions when faced with an unintended pregnancy. However, abortion isn’t uncommon—roughly 67,300 induced abortions occur annually in Malawi. Unfortunately, neither are the injuries and even deaths that occur because of the law and other barriers—such as […]
Kristen Shellenberg, PhD, Ipas senior research advisor Dr. Shellenberg recently co-edited a special issue of Women and Health on abortion stigma. The special issue also features “Developing a Scale to Measure Stigmatizing Attitudes and Beliefs about Women Who Have Abortions: Results from Ghana and Zambia,” an article that she co-authored with Leila Hessini, Ipas director […]
In the “Helms Amendment hurts women” video, released on Nov. 11, leaders from Africa and Asia underscored the importance of U.S. leadership in addressing unsafe abortion, a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity in developing countries, and calling on the Obama Administration to ease restrictions on U.S. foreign aid for abortion. The statements were […]
More women in India may soon be able to access safe, legal abortion services if a proposed amendment to the country’s Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act becomes law. The government of India is currently reviewing an amendment that would make first-trimester abortion available upon a woman’s request; currently a woman’s health-care provider must determine if […]
How does quality improvement become part of the routine, ongoing process of providing abortion-related care? At Ipas-supported training and service delivery sites around the world, that question is getting special attention—and the effort already is translating into better care for women in some of the world’s most remote and impoverished areas. A recent example comes […]