New telemedicine abortion research puts patient voices front and centre

By Louise McCudden ‘Acceptability of no-test medical abortion provided via telemedicine: analysis of patient-reported outcomes’ is the latest in a growing body of evidence highlighting the benefits of telemedicine abortion. This paper by Dr Jonathan Lord, Chelsey Porter and Kathryn Church from MSI Reproductive Choices UK describes not only the clinical benefits but also patient […]

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There’s the IUD, but can it be provided conveniently to women after medical abortion?

By Deborah Constant, Margit Endler, Daniel Grossman, Gregory Petro and Malika Patel Termed “forgettable contraception” as it only requires attention every 5-10 years, the intrauterine device (IUD) is a highly effective long-acting method and has potential to liberate women and girls from the hassle of frequent method administration required by short term methods. In high […]

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Abortion Rights in Northern Ireland – Why We Need More Than ‘Paper Rights’

By Naomi Connor ‘Impractical’ was the word that Robin Swann, the Northern Ireland Health Minister, used to describe the inhumane forced travel for women from Northern Ireland (NI) to England in order to seek out abortion care during a pandemic. The stories of pregnant people travelling to England and further afield for abortion care isn’t […]

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Realising the Fragility of Reproductive Rights: Abortion Ban Comes into Force in Poland

By Maria Lewandowska We need to fight for legal and accessible abortion – everywhere. On the 27th of January 2021, after a three-month delay, the verdict of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal from October 2020 has come into force, prohibiting abortion on the ground of fetal anomaly, and effectively banning abortion whatsoever. This decision further restricts […]

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Book Review – Broken Bonds: Surrogate Mothers Speak Out

By Charlotte Talbot Introduction ‘Broken Bonds: Surrogate Mothers Speak Out’ is a collection of stories describing the injustices that women face when undertaking surrogacy. The stories are from around the world, written in first person by women involved in both commercial and altruistic surrogacy. The editors hold the view that surrogacy should be ended globally, […]

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IPV during pregnancy has negative implications on maternal and neonatal health

by Vithya Murugan @vithyamurugan Defined as a systematic, repetitive pattern of manipulative behavior used in order to gain and maintain power and control over a current or former partner/spouse, intimate partner violence (IPV) includes physical, sexual, psychological and/or financial abuse. Each year in the United States, 7 million women experience IPV.1  The experience of IPV […]

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BDSM Consent in Non-BDSM Sex

By Kayla Beare In a post-#MeToo world, the need for a clear-cut and comprehensive definition of sexual consent has become a topic of conversation for many. The BDSM community is often said to be ahead of the curve in having this conversation, and there is much that can be learnt from this community. BDSM, an […]

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Questioning Colonial Legacies in Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Interventions

by Kayla Beare Contraception has improved the lives of countless since entering the mainstream in the 1960s. However, like most facets of sexual and reproductive health, contraception is imbued in a history of colonialism. As someone who was born and raised in a previously colonised country, the presence of colonial legacies in global health have […]

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