by Ruvani Jayaweera, Bill Powell, Caitlin Gerdts, Jessica Kakesa, Ramatou Ouedraogo, Uwezo Ramazani, Yohannes Dibaba Wado, Erin Wheeler, Tamara Fetters
Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, 13 August 2021 (Open access)
Abstract
Refugees and displaced people face uniquely challenging barriers to abortion access,
including the collapse of health systems, statelessness, and a lack of prioritization
of sexual and reproductive health services by humanitarian agencies. This article
summarizes the evidence around abortion access in humanitarian contexts, and
highlights the opportunities for interventions that could increase knowledge and support
around self-managed abortion. We explore how lessons learned from other contexts
can be applied to the development of effective interventions to reduce abortion-related
morbidity and mortality, and may improve access to information about safe methods of
abortion, including self-management, in humanitarian settings. We conclude by laying
out a forward-thinking research agenda that addresses gaps in our knowledge around
abortion access and experiences in humanitarian contexts.