Erin Persley’s new film, Human Shield, shows the grit and passion of volunteer escorts at US abortion clinics. “I just started talking to escorts all over the country, and learning more about what they go through. And then essentially I was like, ‘Oh, this has to be a documentary.’”

In the UK, legislation to pardon women convicted of illegal abortions has passed its final parliamentary hurdle and is expected to receive royal assent within weeks. The legislation will also put an end to prosecutions of women who terminate their own pregnancies.

When a research team tried to document how US female service members were faring two years after Roe was overturned, only 3 subjects stepped forward, compared to 300 in a similar 2019 study. The team said reasons might be heightened fear, surveillance, professional risk, and a rise in sterilization.

The Lancet: "The politicisation of women's bodies and choices is part of a wider attempt to roll back human rights and freedoms of women and marginalised groups. ...It is a fundamental right of a woman to decide whether and when she has children, and is central to gender justice."

Newly elected Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar is not a liberal. He's been silent on gender rights and it's unclear if he will reform Hungary’s abortion law. But Victor Orbán's loss is a body blow to a movement determined to strip away rights from women, migrants, and LGBTQ+ people.

Abortion care is “an integral part of holistic maternity care” that empowers Black women and birthing people as they make decisions in pregnancy. Yet abortion stories remain largely absent from public discussions of maternal health and wellness.

A prisoner in South Australia was denied a medical termination because there is no overnight medical monitoring at the Adelaide Women's Prison -despite other options being available to help her. Health Minister Blair Boyer says action is being taken to ensure the same situation is not repeated.

A new documentary highlights Doe v. Bolton, the forgotten Supreme Court companion case to Roe v. Wade. While Roe established a constitutional right to abortion, Doe ensured the right was actually accessible. Doe also ruled that a woman could have an abortion up until birth to protect her health.

Across Malta and Gozo where abortion is illegal, Women on Waves has placed several abortion key safes to call attention to the violation of women’s rights in Malta. The safes contain abortion pills. Women can email WoW to get the location and code.

In a new book, a whistleblower exposes the Trump destruction of USAID as mindless and ignorant. “As a Republican, when I think of what USAID does in global health, I assumed it was just, you know, abortions.” For 65 years, USAID delivered humanitarian aid and public health support to the world.

If you've been hearing about the so-called "weaponization" of the Justice department by Biden to target anti-abortion Christians, don't believe a word. The new report from Trump's (truly) weaponized DOJ is propaganda that gives official approval to anti-choice terrorism.

Abortion numbers in Czechia have fallen to historic lows, but increasingly sharp political rhetoric and rival street demonstrations in Prague this weekend proved that growing tensions over reproductive rights remain.

Women's groups in Liberia say the government's new regulations for misoprostol must not block access to care, since unsafe abortion and pregnancy complications already cause tens of thousands of deaths and injuries each year. But abortion is illegal in Liberia! Misoprostol should be EASY to access.

Nicolas Agostini argues that we should move away from the catchall term "anti-rights" - it can be too broad and we don't want to turn human rights advocacy into a friend/enemy sorting machine.

In Colombia in February, women of African descent gathered to discuss reproductive justice. “For many Black women, abortion is not just a sensitive or stigmatized issue. Historically, it has also been a form of resistance dating back to slavery."

The failure of South Korea to ensure safe, legal, and accessible abortion has left women having abortions vulnerable to blackmail and violence, as the act is still widely viewed as a crime. Many women alsos find themselves at the mercy of the courts, both as plaintiffs and as defendants.

The Trump admin proposes a massive $16.2 billion in cuts to diplomatic and foreign assistance activities. It is a virtual certainty that the Trump regime will not request any funding for reproductive health including contraception for the second year in a row.

Prague, Czech Republic: Hundreds of mainly young protesters gathered for a counter-demonstration against the anti-choice "March for Life" under the slogan "Prague is feminist". They held up signs with texts such as "Women's rights are human rights" and "My body, my choice".

In Kenya, Juliet Moraa was refused contraception because she was "too young." She got pregnant, sought a backstreet abortion that didn't work and left her with complications that nearly cost her life and pregnancy. "I felt like my life had ended before it even started."

Colombia has one of the most advanced legal frameworks on abortion in Latin America. But this does not translate into effective access for all women and pregnant people. Alejandra Alemán, an attorney at Women’s Link, explains why.

The US continues to have one of the highest maternal death rates among high-income countries, and the situation is getting worse. Behind this trend is a growing body of research showing that state abortion bans directly contribute to increased maternal mortality.

The Trump administration is codifying anti-contraception rhetoric into the nation’s family planning program, Title X. To "encourage" women to have more children, HHS is calling on future Title X grantees to focus on “natural family planning methods” and “infertility services.”

Some websites in Canda are selling unauthorized abortion pills from India by mail and in person, which can pose health risks. The services are targeting newcomers, uninsured people, and those with low health-care literacy. Legitimate pills are FREE in Canada with a prescription.

The Trump Unjustice dept will release a report falsely claiming the Biden administration prosecuted abortion opponents due to their religious beliefs for blocking access to abortion clinics. Meanwhile, Trump has freed violent criminals and given them a green light to attack clinics.

In the Philippines, which has a near-total abortion ban, most people are forced to seek out unsafe procedures. Health advocates describe a “chilling effect,” where stigma and fear of prosecution discourage women from seeking timely care or post-abortion care.

Getting an abortion in Brazil can be all but impossible, and there is little hope for legal change. The limited rights of Brazilian women exist only “on paper." Clandestine procedures are the norm, and doctors who provide abortions are often denounced to their local medical council by colleagues.

Quebec City is notorious for having long waiting periods and delays in getting appointments for abortions, says Dr. Geneviève Bois, an abortion provider in Montreal. While the province has “excellent abortion access in general," there are access issues especially for procedural abortion.

An urgent care facility in Michigan started offering medication abortion to patients last summer, after closure of a local Planned Parenthood clinic. The idea that urgent cares “could be an untapped solution to closures for abortion clinics across the country is really exciting.” - Kimi Chernoby

Alexeis McGill Johnson’s path to leading Planned Parenthood came after a career working on voting rights and civil rights, and she approaches the work through a racial and gender lens. She is only the second Black woman leader in the organization’s existence of more than a century.

A reporter called the New Brunswick (Canada) new self-referral abortion phone line anonymously, to try the service under conditions a member of the public may experience. The reporter received professional guidance and help on accessing an abortion promptly.

Fall 2025*

Spain is moving towards protecting abortion as a constitutional right, but apparently the proposal has no prospect of success because it needs the support of the conservative "Popular Party".

The International Confederation of Midwives and the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics have issued a statement that comprehensive abortion care is an essential health service for the realisation of human rights and individual and community health.

The U.S. continues to have one of the highest maternal death rates among high-income countries, and the situation is getting worse, not better. Behind this trend is a growing body of research showing that state abortion bans directly contribute to increased maternal mortality.

US lawmakers are using the same tactics, including criminalization, surveillance, and restrictions on young people, to limit access to both abortion and gender-affirming care. The movements to both are evolving together too.

"Putting this baseless case on hold is certainly a better outcome than what Louisiana asked for: severe and immediate restrictions on mifepristone that would upend abortion and miscarriage care across the country,” said Julia Kaye of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Fiji is facing a worsening sexual and reproductive health crisis that is hurting young people, families and the economy, but new community research shows that Fijians already have practical solutions that could turn things around if they were properly supported.

Afghanistan is burdened by one of the region’s worst maternal health crises, yet morality police have closed part of a maternity hospital to stop dispensing of contraception. The UN Population Fund warns that even limited disruptions can quickly become life-threatening.

Imagine that you're pregnant and decide you want an abortion. You walk into a pharmacy, and pick up a medication abortion kit from the shelf. You buy it, and end your early pregnancy at home. "It's time that the general public understands that this could be a reality," says Dr. Daniel Grossman.

The inspiring story of Dr. Paul Isaacson of Phoenix Arizona. He's spent the past 17 years overcoming fears about his personal safety and advocating for women’s rights to make their own choices.

Yes, Russia is much like the US gov't when it comes to abortion. Misogynist, cruel, and ignorant of reality. Anti-choice policies don't stop abortion, they simply punish women - which is the point for the opposition.

Mary Ziegler says Lizelle Gonzalez had an excellent case but still lost, sending a chilling message. "Prosecutions of abortion seekers are only going to increase, and prosecutors will see rulings like this one as a green light to ignore the laws that claim to protect them."

Intense misogyny permeates the entire American Right, says Sarah Mautner-Mazlen. It appears in their anti-abortion, pro-fetal personhood, pronatalist ideology and policy; the defence of sexual predators, and much more.

A new report from the US Government Accountability Office reveals that 16 anti-choice fake clinics directly received at least $34 million in gov't funding between 2018 and 2024.

Doris Kathia, a human rights defender in Kenya, writes: "We must ensure that women and girls seeking abortion care within the law in this country are defended and protected, as guaranteed by the constitution. ...Reproductive rights are a question of justice, equity, and human dignity."

A public health agency and a communications org have joined forces to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights in Nigeria. The partnership will tackle unsafe abortion, sexual and gender-based violence, adolescent reproductive health, and the spread of health misinformation.

Liberia has restricted the sale and use of misoprostol pills, but the move contradicts national commitments to reduce maternal mortality. Advocates for women's health say the impact of the restriction will be most severe for women and girls in rural communities.

New "guidance" for sexual health clinics from the US Dept of Health and Human Services includes no mention of contraception, except to say it's overprescribed, has negative side effects, and is part of a broader “overreliance on pharmaceutical and surgical treatments.”

Florida appears to be hiding its likely increased rate of maternal deaths due to its abortion restrictions.

Across the US, health care facilities and providers are refusing to give patients care, information, and referrals based on personal objections rather than patient needs. These "refusal laws" often result in harm to patients.