Joint ESC & FIAPAC Webinar on 'New Approaches to Delivering Abortion and Contraceptive Care, 17 February 2021
9 February 2021
Registration is open for the Joint ESC & FIAPAC webinar on ‘New Approaches to Delivering Abortion and Contraceptive Care’ on Wednesday 17 February 2021 at 4.00-5.30pm.
- Telemedicine for medical abortion: is it here to stay? – Sharon Cameron, Sexual and Reproductive Health Services, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Post abortion contraception – Ingrid Sääv, Department of Women´s and Children´s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Registration
Free for paid-up (2021) members. If you are not an ESC/FIAPAC member, please arrange your ESC and/or FIAPAC membership first before registering for the webinar!
ESC: https://escrh.eu/register/form/?single (60 euros/year)
FIAPAC: https://www.fiapac.org/en/home/membership/
Free access to all future webinars this year of the society you join.
Register today!
Webinar Marking the Launch of the Sexuality and Abortion Stigma Study (SASS) New Project Website and Research Briefings, Wednesday 3 March 2021
9 February 2021
The Sexuality and Abortion Stigma Study (SASS) team are organising a free webinar on Wednesday 3 March 2021 to mark the launch of their new project website and research briefings.
The SASS project re-examines qualitative data from a decade of studies on abortion across the UK. Drawing on the accounts of women who have sought abortion, and health professionals involved in provision, the project addresses abortion stigma, and considers how to move the conversation on from stigma to normalisation, both in academic and in more everyday terms.
In the run up to International Women’s Day 2021, this webinar will showcase the SASS study’s findings, considered in the current context of Covid-19 and ongoing shifts in abortion provision in the UK.
The webinar is on Wednesday 3 March 2021 (3.00–4.30pm GMT), chaired by SASS Advisory Group member, and IPAS President, Dr Anu Kumar. There will be five short talks from the project team plus time for discussion.
- Dr Carrie Purcell and Dr Karen Maxwell, MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow
- Dr Fiona Bloomer, Ulster University
- Prof Sam Rowlands, Bournemouth University
- Prof Lesley Hoggart, The Open University
The SASS website acts as an archive for outputs from all the studies which have contributed to the SASS secondary analysis, all the new outputs associated with the study, and its follow-on projects.
Two SASS research briefings have been produced to accompany the two peer reviewed journal articles presenting the study’s findings so far, which have already been published.
REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR HERE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sexuality-and-abortion-stigma-study-sass-website-briefing-launch-tickets-138446893385
A Zoom link will be emailed to all those registered shortly before the event. The SASS Project Team
‘My Body My Life’ Seeks Experiences of Abortion During the Covid-19 Pandemic
9 February 2021
Although one in three British women will have an abortion during their lifetime, the decision to terminate a pregnancy continues to be stigmatised. Many women who have an abortion will internalise that stigma, and experience isolation and shame as a result. This may explain some of the negative aspects of abortion experiences, and why some people wish to conceal it. ‘My Body My Life’ is a public engagement project that seeks to address this stigma around abortion by bringing real stories of abortion into the open. These stories show how an unplanned pregnancy is a part of so many people’s lives, how different people have made their decision about having an abortion, and what the process was like for them. The hope is that by creating a space in which everyone can share their stories, the project will contribute to opening up conversations about real experiences of abortion – positive and negative – to enable us all to speak, to listen, and to understand without judgment.
On the ‘My Body My Life’ website (https://www.mybody-mylife.org/) visitors can read people’s stories of abortion in their own words. Originally collected as part of Open University (OU) research into women’s experiences of abortion, this research has grown into a broad public engagement project co-led by OU and the University of Oxford. It now includes this website, a (pre-Covid-19) travelling multi-media exhibition and a booklet of abortion stories that is available at BPAS clinics across the country.
‘My Body My Life’ is looking to talk to people about their experiences of abortion during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you would like to share your story please email them for more information at: mybodymylife@open.ac.uk
RCOG Virtual World Congress, 9–12 June 2021 - Abstract Submissions Invited
21 December 2020
Following sell-out events in Cape Town, Singapore and London, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) are delighted to be hosting their first ever virtual World Congress. RCOG Virtual World Congress will take place from 9–12 June 2021 and is a must-attend event for anyone working in women’s healthcare.
The RCOG invites the submission of abstracts for RCOG Virtual World Congress 2021.
There are over 25 different specialist areas to choose from and, if accepted, abstract authors will have the opportunity to discuss their findings with experts from over 100 countries.
Abstract submission deadline: Thursday 4 February 2021
Information about the event/abstract submission: https://www.rcog.org.uk/congress2021
Responses Invited to Health Department Consultations on 'Home Use of Both Pills for Early Medical Abortion – Temporary Regulations During Coronavirus Pandemic'
10 December 2020
Responses are invited to the three consultations that are currently ongoing by respective Health Departments in England, Wales and Scotland about the temporary regulations. The views of providers and residents are especially valuable to these consultations. The relevant links are:
Scotland (consultation deadline: 5 January 2021) https://www.gov.scot/publications/consultation-future-arrangements-early-medical-abortion-home/pages/2/
Wales (consultation deadline: 23 February 2021) https://gov.wales/termination-pregnancy-arrangements-wales
England (consultation deadline: 26 February 2021) https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/home-use-of-both-pills-for-early-medical-abortion/home-use-of-both-pills-for-early-medical-abortion-up-to-10-weeks-gestation
For all three consultations, content is sought under the following headings:
- Safety
- Accessibility, convenience and waiting times
- Acceptability
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Effects of providers/services
- Risks
- Effect on other NHS services
- Information on risks given to women
- Safeguarding
- Equality considerations
- Making the temporary measures permanent.
Personal submissions can be made directly to one or more of these consultations. Additionally, contributions are invited to collective submissions from providers in Scotland or Wales; the addresses for these are:
Scotland Prof Sharon Cameron sharon.cameron@ed.ac.uk
Wales Dr Caroline Scherf caroline.scherf@wales.nhs.uk
Alternatively, contributions can be submitted to BSACP (at least 2 weeks ahead of the consultation deadlines given above) for inclusion in the Society’s collated submissions to each of the three consultations:
BSACP Prof Sam Rowlands srowlands@bournemouth.ac.uk
This is an important time as there is so much evidence coming out now about the benefits of remote early medical abortion (EMA) and a unique opportunity to influence the regulations in these three jurisdictions. BSACP is of the opinion that there cannot be too many submissions. Even a brief supportive submission will be worthwhile.
Sam Rowlands (BSACP Secretary)
Publication of Updated Guidance: ‘Termination of Pregnancy: An RCN Nursing Framework’
3 December 2020
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has recently published updated guidance entitled ‘Termination of Pregnancy: An RCN Nursing Framework’ (17 November 2020), intended for nursing and midwifery staff caring for women undergoing abortion, that highlights new references and reading that should be familiar to those working in this field.
According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), a third of women will have one or more abortions during their reproductive life. It is therefore important that staff working in this specialist area, whether within the National Health Service (NHS) or the independent sectors, receive continued professional development of the highest quality.
The latest version of the RCN guidance highlights legislative changes and updated recommendations. These include:
- The recommendation that education should be provided for all staff involved in the service, as prompted by the 2019 RCN Women’s Health Forum Committee’s survey to research the level of staff skills and education provision.
- The change in legislation in Northern Ireland on 1 April 2020, relating to termination of pregnancy (TOP); to date, the Department of Health in Northern Ireland has yet to commission TOP services and women are able to access abortion procedures in England, Scotland and Wales free of charge. The legislation acknowledges the need for conscientious objection for staff.
- Timescales have been added and women should be offered an assessment within 1 week of their request.
- Anti-D information has been updated; women having medical treatment up to 9+6 weeks’ gestation no longer need this intervention and the framework confirms this.
- The information around nurses performing surgical TOP has been removed; changes are expected. [NB. It is worth noting that while the Abortion Act 1967 does not state that nurses and midwives cannot do surgical abortions, the Department of Health will not approve nurses and midwives performing surgical abortions.]
The new references and extended reading list that staff should be sure they are familiar with (and which are detailed in the updated guidance) include:
- Department of Health in Northern Ireland (2020) – A New Legal Framework for Abortion Services in Northern Ireland: UK Government Consultation Response
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2019) – Abortion Care (NICE Guideline 140)
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (2020) – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection and Abortion Care
- Royal College of Nursing (2019) – Nursing Education in Termination of Pregnancy Services
- Royal College of Nursing (2020) – Genital Examination in Women: A Resource for Skills Development and Assessment (4th edition)
Changes in the provision of abortion care across the UK are currently being developed; the RCN guidance is due to be updated again in 2021/2022.
Termination of Pregnancy – An RCN Nursing Framework November 2020
Laura Rutherford, Lead Nurse, Emergency Gynaecology Assessment Unit (EGAU), North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, Peterborough City Hospital, Peterborough, UK and Nurse/Midwife Representative on BSACP Council
APPG SRH Meeting on Abortion Commissioning in Northern Ireland, 14 December 2020
18 November 2020
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK (APPG SRH) will hold an event entitled “A way forward: Commissioning abortion services in Northern Ireland” on Monday 14 December 2020. The event will run from 15.00–16.30.
The event will discuss the experiences of the women affected by the current impasse in the commissioning process, the impact on abortion care settings and the human rights implications of the decision not to commission services. As well as providing a space for discussion and information sharing, the hope is that the event will contribute to the ongoing political pressure on Robin Swann, Brandon Lewis et al. to resolve the situation.
The speakers will be:
- Les Allamby, Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
- Dr Goretti Horgan, Researcher and expert on women’s experiences of abortion
- Ruairi Rowan, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Informing Choices NI
- Dr Carolyn Bailie, Consultant Obstetrician and Chair of the Northern Ireland Committee of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Register to attend at: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sxBrFpUcQtOZTktL_A2xeg
The meeting organisers would appreciate details of this event being shared with appropriate networks and via social media.
Alice Chilcott
External Affairs and SRH APPG Officer
FSRH, 10-18 Union Street, London SE1 1SZ
+44 (0)20 3794 5310
achilcott@fsrh.org www.fsrh.org @appgsrh
Note: The All Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK (APPG SRH) is a cross-party group of MPs and Peers seeking to raise awareness in Parliament of the needs of women seeking abortion and the importance of improving the sexual and reproductive health of people in the UK. The Group brings together Parliamentarians, experts and campaigners to examine issues within sexual and reproductive healthcare in the UK, and to explore options to improve healthcare through policy and legislative change. The Group is chaired by Baroness Barker and Diana Johnson MP.
Abortion Support Network (ASN) European Abortion Provider Survey
18 November 2020
The Abortion Support Network (ASN) – a UK-based charity which provides financial assistance, accommodation and information to people from the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Malta and Gibraltar who are seeking abortions abroad – is conducting a survey to explore options for expanding access to abortion after the first trimester, either on request or in cases of fetal indication, either for people resident in various European countries or for people traveling from countries with more restrictive abortion laws in Europe. ASN is particularly keen to understand the provider perspective.
The Abortion Support Network (ASN) European Abortion Provider Survey (ASN EU Abortion Provider Survey) is now live. It takes about 5–10 minutes to complete, and the survey can be provided in languages other than English. The survey can be completed anonymously, and the information provided will not be shared with any third parties. The survey will close on 22 December 2020.
Link to survey: http://tiny.cc/ASNsurveyEU
About the ASN EU Abortion Provider Survey
Abortion Support Network (members of the Abortion Without Borders initiative) is looking at expanding their abortion fund, and part of that is finding the best care pathways for people who need abortion beyond 12–14 weeks. We are surveying European abortion providers. The goal of this survey is to learn more about the perspective of abortion providers. Though this survey ASN hopes to learn about current capacity, if providers are interested in expanding their upper gestational age to the limit allowed by law in their country of residence, and to explore options for expanding provision.
ASN encourages healthcare professionals to share the survey within their networks so that more EU abortion providers can be reached.
Please contact mara@asn.org.uk with any queries, or if the survey questions are required in an alternative language.
Mara Clarke
Abortion Support Network
Member, Abortion Without Borders/Aborcja Bez Granic
Reg. Charity Number 1142120
+44 (0)7913 353530
@maraclarke
Abortion Provider Changes Name Over Marie Stopes Eugenics Link
18 November 2020
A leading abortion provider has changed its name in order to break ties with Marie Stopes, the controversial birth control pioneer who believed in the creation of a super race.
Marie Stopes International, which provides contraception and abortions to women and girls in 37 countries, is now known as MSI Reproductive Choices.
MSI Reproductive Choices said Stopes’ legacy has become “deeply entangled” with her views on eugenics and wanted to address the “understandable misapprehensions” that the charity had a meaningful connection to her.
Simon Cooke, Chief Executive of MSI Reproductive Choices, said: “The name of the organisation has been a topic of discussion for many years and the events of 2020 have reaffirmed that changing our name is the right decision”.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54970977
Marie Stopes (1880–1958) shook the world. She wrote the best-selling sex-manual for women ‘Married Love’ in 1916 (which took 2 years to find a publisher willing to print copies) and was a controversial birth control pioneer. On a darker note, she also corresponded with Hitler and believed in the creation of a super race.
You can read more about Marie Stopes’ life and achievements in Howard Falcon-Lang’s fascinating article ‘The secret life of Dr Marie Stopes’ (23 August 2010) online at BBC News.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11040319
Reflections on the RSM/BSACP Online Conference ‘Excellence in Adversity: Abortion Care in the Coronavirus Pandemic’, 12 October 2020
18 November 2020
Any person, lay or medical, would be unlikely to disagree that the past 8 months have seen enormous disruption in healthcare, in work and in social relations. Much of this disruption has been negative, and in healthcare it has had a tremendous effect on both healthcare workers and patients. But disruption can also be a tool to jump-start innovation, and so this year’s joint Royal Society of Medicine (RSM)/British Society of Abortion Care Providers (BSACP) conference entitled ‘Excellence in Adversity: Abortion Care in the Coronavirus Pandemic’ looked both at how the demands of the pandemic have led to liberalisation in some areas of service provision, and have possibly pointed the way towards longer-term change.
The ongoing need for social distancing provoked innovation in the format of this year’s event, resulting in it being BSACP’s first experience of a ‘virtual’ conference held online using videoconferencing. Despite the odd technical gremlin, as the participants explored how to manoeuvre through both small group workshops and larger plenaries, the consensus was that not only did the online format make possible an event that would have had to be cancelled, it also enabled people to access the conference who might otherwise have struggled to participate for reasons of geography, caring responsibilities or competing work commitments.
It became apparent early in the pandemic that the traditional structures which dictated where and by whom reproductive healthcare could be both offered and accessed would need to be adapted. But what has proven so interesting this year for those interested in reproductive health is that rather than simply trying to approximate old practices in new circumstances, real reform has taken place, with both practical and social implications.
Outcomes for which those in the abortion care community have long campaigned, but which have been ensnared in academic debate, became political reality. As was set out by Rachael Clarke, Public Affairs and Advocacy Manager at British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), in her account of some spectacularly confused decision making by the government, after a “double U-turn” the first wholly telemedicine abortions became available in England, Wales and Scotland. For the first time, women at early gestation can be prescribed mifepristone and misoprostol after a telephone consultation, and then either have that medication posted to them or alternatively collect it themselves from the clinic. This change, which both the conference speakers and participants agreed granted women far greater autonomy over their choices, has not yet been confirmed by the Department of Health as a permanent change. News therefore that some of those present at the conference are currently undertaking comprehensive statistical research using data arising from the majority of UK abortions undertaken during the first lockdown period, with the aim of demonstrating that this is a change in practice that should remain in place after the pandemic, is encouraging.
Yet for all these changes, abortion in most of the UK remains governed by the Abortion Act 1967. With this in mind, Dr Janet Barter, a Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health at Barts NHS Trust and Dr Charles Musters, Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist at East London NHS Foundation Trust, gave an illuminating presentation on the part of the Act that renders legal at any gestation an abortion where there is risk to the life of the pregnant women or risk of grave permanent injury to her physical or mental health. Although such cases are fortunately few in number annually, Drs Barter and Musters made it clear that these cases are likely to be time-critical, and therefore it is essential for sexual health and obstetrics/gynaecology professionals to have established networks with colleagues in other medical specialties such as psychiatry for when such emergencies occur.
As doctors and politicians consider the future direction of the UK’s abortion laws, research comparing the outcomes under different legal regimes in different parts of the UK and overseas will become ever more important. One of the great advantages of an online conference is the ability to connect in real time with overseas speakers, and so Professor Abigail Aiken was able to speak from Texas about a ground-breaking comparative qualitative study of remotely-managed early medical abortion across eight European countries. Strikingly in England, Wales and Scotland, some 86% of medication abortions provided during the first Covid-19 protocol were fully remote telemedicine, indicating the popularity of this model with service users.
In both the morning and afternoon sessions, time was set aside for smaller, focused workshops, which enabled attendees to learn more about how the changes are relevant to their own clinical practice. Thus there were a range of seminars for those seeking to establish services, on the logistics for those setting up services, for those involved in training or teaching abortion care at both graduate and undergraduate level, as well as other specialty- or location-specific workshops. In the free communications sessions, some of the new generation of doctors and scholars, who had pre-submitted abstracts for judging, were given an opportunity to present their research to wider audience. Congratulations to Drs Clara Duncan and John Reynolds-Wright whose short presentations were judged the winners in the online participant polls conducted during the morning and afternoon sessions, respectively.
In her closing keynote presentation, Professor Lesley Hoggart took a step back in order to place the current changes in the context of her wider social science research into cultural and ethical issues about women self-managing abortion. Abortion continues to be deeply stigmatised, and Professor Hoggart made it clear that building upon the shifts towards self-management of abortion by women, and using experience gained from the adversities of the current pandemic to lobby for normalised, legalised abortion, will only be possible if the deep-rooted social issues of shame, gender and sexuality are addressed.
Charlotte Kelly, Patient and Public Involvement Representative on BSACP Council