In recent years, digital technologies have transformed the landscape of healthcare, including the provision of quality abortion care. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many clinics and hospitals around the world to close or reduce services, digital health became an essential part of abortion care. Even as clinics resumed pre-pandemic operations, digital abortion care has remained critical for supporting self-managed medical abortion and reaching women in countries with restrictive laws, those living in remote areas, or those seeking discreet and convenient care. However, digital pathways are just one part of a larger ecosystem of abortion care.   To ensure a seamless continuum of person-centered care, the integration of digital abortion care with analog pathways is essential. Analog pathways refer to the traditional client journeys that do not involve digital components.  The Need for Integrated Care Pathways  When digital pathways are disconnected from analog pathways, women and other people seeking abortion care may encounter unnecessary delays or struggle to access the care they need. For instance, a woman consulting a digital provider for information on self-managing a medical abortion may face difficulties obtaining the necessary medication or post-abortion care without access to local health services. To ensure that women can access quality care at every stage of their abortion journey, it is crucial to establish linkages between digital providers and physical access points.  The Success of the WFD-IPPF Partnership  The referral partnership between safe2choose.org (a Women First Digital platform) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has successfully linked digital and in-person pathways to abortion care. The referral process is straightforward. Women seeking abortion care can access safe2choose's digital platform to receive counselling and information on medical and surgical abortion options. If the woman prefers in-person care or needs further medical attention, the safe2choose team of trained counsellors will refer her to the nearest provider. This referral process ensures that women can choose a hybrid model, receiving continuous care and support from trained healthcare providers throughout their abortion journey.  Since its inception in 2021, the safe2choose partnership with IPPF has registered 300 providers from IPPF Member Associations in seven countries in Africa and Asia. In the first two years, safe2choose referred over 3,600 clients to IPPF facilities, where they received quality abortion care. This collaboration has significantly enhanced the abortion care ecosystem, ensuring comprehensive and uninterrupted care for women. Clients connected to local providers through the digital safe2choose services consistently report positive experiences. They appreciate the easy accessibility and proximity of the local providers, as well as the clear and comprehensive information provided. These testimonials highlight the effectiveness and quality of the referrals, building trust and confidence in local IPPF providers.   Moving Towards a Seamless Continuum of Care  The IPPF and safe2choose referral partnership continues to expand, encompassing providers from more countries and extending the availability of a hybrid model of abortion care to more women worldwide. IPPF Member Association clinics and providers can sign up to the safe2choose referral database through an online registration form. By forging collaborative links between digital and in-person providers, we can move towards a comprehensive abortion care system that fully addresses the needs of women. The success of the safe2choose-IPPF partnership highlights the importance of collaboration between digital and in-clinic providers to create a world where all women have access to quality abortion care.  Discover additional information about the safe2choose referral process here.   

At the end of June, we heard the collective gasp of hundreds of millions of people around the world as news broke that the Conservative majority of the US Supreme Court had put their personal ideologies and beliefs before precedent and law. We knew the the court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was coming, but to hear that it was official caused so much anger, shock, disbelief and disgust.  Although the anger is still there – and let’s be very clear that this anger needs to stay with us – let’s not lose sight of the fact that medical abortion has revolutionized abortion access and remains an option for many of those who have had their reproductive freedom stolen from them. The US has become a colour-coded map of states, showing where women’s reproductive freedoms are protected, where they are not, and where people can travel for in-person abortion care. But the reality is that for most, traveling hundreds of miles to another state is not an option. The majority of people in the US seeking abortion care are poor and simply can’t afford the travel costs and time away from work. Even with the welcome news from companies coming forward to pay for abortion-related travel costs, the reality is that most of those needing an abortion do not work for these companies.  While overturning Roe v. Wade has put the US back to a pre-1973 Square One for reproductive rights, it does not roll back the advancements made in abortion care in the years since Roe was first decided. We now have medical abortion – something that did not exist then. With these pills that can safely and effectively end a pregnancy, we no longer need to travel for in-clinic abortion care.   We know from years of research and evidence that self-managed medical abortion is a safe, effective and acceptable way to have an abortion, especially when people have accurate and clear information, such as the instructions in this video series, and access to support people of which there are many. Medical abortion can be done safely at home and is often a preferred method of abortion, even in places where abortion can be accessed in a clinic.    With a sea of misinformation out there, IPPF has pulled together some resources from trusted organizations and networks for people looking for abortion information, care, funding and legal advice. Resources are available for people around the world in general, and in the US in particular. There are excellent sites where people can find abortion pills online, find accurate information about medical abortion, receive care through telemedicine, and learn how to self-manage an abortion.  It’s unclear what is next for medical abortion in the US, and lawmakers in the prohibition states are already trying to limit people’s ability to have virtual abortion consultations or have pills delivered by mail. But what we do know is that medical abortion is a game changer in improving access to safe abortion, especially in countries where abortion is legally restricted.   It saddens and infuriates me to think about my friends and family in my home ‘trigger law’ state who no longer have the same reproductive rights as other Americans; as other humans. While medical abortion is not the only solution to this dystopian nightmare, it certainly has an important role to play.  We can and must spread the word about what resources and support are available to people seeking an abortion, and in the meantime, stay angry.  Main photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash