In this first panel of a four-part series, presenters will describe scientific research on safety and efficacy of self-managed abortion. Panelists will present research on user satisfaction, accompaniment models, and hotlines and discuss empirical evidence underlying WHO’s recommendations on self-managed abortion.

For decades, people have effectively self-managed their abortions without the supervision of a health care professional. Self-managed abortion (SMA) offers an alternative model of care that can serve people living in both restrictive and more liberal legal settings. SMA has been recognized for its potential not only to reduce harm caused by abortion restrictions, but also to contribute to personal agency and reproductive freedom, shifting power away from the formal medical system and into the hands of women and other pregnant people.

A growing body of evidence shows that self-managed medication abortion is safe and effective in early pregnancy, as well as in later pregnancy provided individuals can access post-abortion care if needed . Yet legal risk remains, as laws and policies fail to protect people who self-manage their abortion and those who help them.

Featuring:

• Dr. Caron Rahn Kim, Medical Officer, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization
• Dr. Caitlin Gerdts, Vice President of Research, Ibis Reproductive Health, USA
• Dr. Onikepe Owolabi, Program Director, Vital Strategies, USA
• Prof. Raquel Drovetta, Universidad Nacional de Villa Maria and National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina

Spanish-English interpretation will be offered

This series is presented by the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University Beasley School of Law, O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University Law Center, Ibis Reproductive Health, and If/When/How Lawyering for Reproductive Justice.