WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On International Safe Abortion Day, Women First Digital (WFD), a collection of online platforms providing information and counseling services on safe abortion, contraception, and sexual and reproductive health, will launch an informational video series on self-managed abortion as part of an exciting partnership with the international medical humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and WFD’s website HowToUseAbortionPill.org (HowToUse). Available in 27 languages, each of the eight videos will answer an essential question about how to safely, effectively and privately manage medication abortions, also known as abortion with pills. Utilizing the resources of two highly credible and trust-worthy organizations, the series can be easily shared across digital mediums, whether on social media or in private messaging groups, as a resource for anyone considering an abortion with pills.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on out-of-clinic and self-managed abortion with pills, which is not only a safe and effective method of abortion but preferred by many due to privacy and the comfort of home,” says Claire Crossett, Assistant Director at WFD. “Make no mistake: abortion is healthcare, and all people should have the option of seeking care within a clinical setting if they so choose. But there is also substantial and growing research that validates the safety and effectiveness of a self-managed abortion with pills when people are equipped with the right information and resources. That’s why we joined forces with MSF to share a much-needed informational guide on self-managed abortions for all.”
Viewers will be given the tools to discern how to have a safe abortion with pills: what factors to consider, how to use the medication correctly, and what to expect during and after the process. To ensure the information is widely accessible and understood, the video will be available in English, French, Arabic, Hindi, Spanish, and Portuguese with subtitles in 21 more languages. Each 2–3-minute video provides factual, evidence-based information about self-managed abortion using warm and approachable animated graphics and a reassuring and informative tone.
The questions addressed within the videos include:
- How to confirm a pregnancy?
- How far along is my pregnancy?
- How does an abortion with pills work?
- How do I take mifepristone and misoprostol to have an abortion before 13 weeks?
- How do I only take misoprostol to have an abortion before 13 weeks?
- What will I experience during an abortion with pills?
- What are the signs of complication during an abortion with pills?
- What happens after I have an abortion with pills?
“Our experience in MSF confirms that you don’t need clinical tests, medical equipment, or surgical facilities in order to make an abortion with pills safe,” offers Dr. Manisha Kumar, head of MSF's task force on safe abortion care. “What you need for a safe abortion with pills is 1) accurate information 2) quality medication and 3) mutual respect and trust.”
HowToUseAbortionPill.org (HowToUse), provides information about abortion with pills, including how to safely use the pills in 27 languages, as well as local abortion laws and resources for 49 countries. In addition to availability on social media, the new videos will be hosted on the HowToUse site under "online courses" as well as here.
“Self-managed abortion is an umbrella term: it can capture many different pathways to care. But across the board, we know that self-managed abortion with pills can reduce burden on healthcare systems, increase access to care, and shift power paradigms around an essential healthcare service that has become far too over-medicalized and over-regulated,” concludes Crossett. “We are thrilled to partner with MSF to help promote access to information that is safe, clear, and judgement free -- the way all healthcare information should be.”
About Women First Digital
Operational since 2015, Women First Digital (WFD) is an eHealth social enterprise that offers comprehensive, inclusive, and personalized sexual and reproductive health and safe abortion information and services globally.
About Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent medical humanitarian organization that works in more than 70 countries around the world.
