Abortion Care
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Last Updated: May 10, 2022
ABORTION REGULATION
Criminalization
Recommend the full decriminalization of abortion. (S)
- Decriminalization means removing abortion from all penal/criminal laws, not applying other criminal offences (e.g. murder, manslaughter) to abortion, and ensuring there are no criminal penalties for having, assisting with, providing information about, or providing abortion, for all relevant actors.
- Decriminalization would ensure that anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss does not come under suspicion of illegal abortion when they seek care.
- Decriminalization of abortion does not make women, girls or other pregnant persons vulnerable to forced or coerced abortion. Forced or coerced abortion would constitute serious assaults as these would be non-consensual interventions.
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SERVICES ACROSS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE
Provision of information on abortion care
Service Delivery
Across the continuum of abortion care:
Recommend provision of information on abortion care by community health workers, pharmacists, traditional and complementary medicine professionals, auxiliary nurses/auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), nurses, midwives, associate/advanced associate clinicians, generalist medical practitioners and specialist medical practitioners. (S)
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Suggest provision of information on abortion care by pharmacy workers. (C)
Condition: In contexts where the pharmacy worker is under the direct supervision of a pharmacist and there is access or referral to appropriate health services.
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Overview
Title
Abortion Care
Authoring Organization
World Health Organization