The Impact of Recent Changes in Therapeutic Abortion Laws

1971 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1130-1148 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAMES B. KAHN ◽  
JUDITH P. BOURNE ◽  
CARL W. TYLER<
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Abortion ◽  
Abortion Laws ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes: a systematic review protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Foluso Ishola ◽  
U. Vivian Ukah ◽  
Arijit Nandi
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Abortion Law ◽  
Women’S Health Services ◽  
Abortion Laws ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background A country’s abortion law is a key component in determining the enabling environment for safe abortion. While restrictive abortion laws still prevail in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), many countries have reformed their abortion laws, with the majority of them moving away from an absolute ban. However, the implications of these reforms on women’s access to and use of health services, as well as their health outcomes, is uncertain. First, there are methodological challenges to the evaluation of abortion laws, since these changes are not exogenous. Second, extant evaluations may be limited in terms of their generalizability, given variation in reforms across the abortion legality spectrum and differences in levels of implementation and enforcement cross-nationally. This systematic review aims to address this gap. Our aim is to systematically collect, evaluate, and synthesize empirical research evidence concerning the impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes in LMICs. Methods We will conduct a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature on changes in abortion laws and women’s health services and outcomes in LMICs. We will search Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases, as well as grey literature and reference lists of included studies for further relevant literature. As our goal is to draw inference on the impact of abortion law reforms, we will include quasi-experimental studies examining the impact of change in abortion laws on at least one of our outcomes of interest. We will assess the methodological quality of studies using the quasi-experimental study designs series checklist. Due to anticipated heterogeneity in policy changes, outcomes, and study designs, we will synthesize results through a narrative description. Discussion This review will systematically appraise and synthesize the research evidence on the impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes in LMICs. We will examine the effect of legislative reforms and investigate the conditions that might contribute to heterogeneous effects, including whether specific groups of women are differentially affected by abortion law reforms. We will discuss gaps and future directions for research. Findings from this review could provide evidence on emerging strategies to influence policy reforms, implement abortion services and scale up accessibility. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42019126927

Criminalisation

2018 ◽  
pp. 11-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Bloomer ◽  
Claire Pierson ◽  
Sylvia Estrada Claudio
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Unsafe Abortion ◽  
Methodological Issues ◽  
Restricted Access ◽  
Abortion Laws ◽  
History Of ◽  
Serious Injury ◽  
The Impact

This chapter details the criminalisation of abortion. A review of the history of the criminal law on abortion reveals that for most of history abortion remained outside the law. Criminalisation when it did occur was closely tied to the religious positioning of abortion in western societies. This chapter considers trends in the latter part of the 20th century abortion when countries which had criminalised abortion began to relax the laws, whilst in other settings restrictions were introduced. The impact of restrictive laws and restricted access include an exploration of the data related to death and serious injury resulting from unsafe abortion as well as the risk of criminality. A consideration of methodological issues in measuring the impact of unsafe abortion identifies new methods to quantify this. Case studies of Ireland and Uruguay highlight how restrictive laws are experienced in contrasting settings. The chapter concludes by considering the case for decriminalisation of abortion laws.

scholarly journals Impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes: a systematic review protocol

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Foluso Ishola ◽  
Vivian Ukah ◽  
Arijit Nandi
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Abortion Law ◽  
Women’S Health Services ◽  
Abortion Laws ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: A country’s abortion law is a key component in determining the enabling environment for safe abortion. While restrictive abortion laws still prevail in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), many countries have reformed their abortion laws, with the majority of them moving away from an absolute ban. However, the implications of these reforms on women’s access to and use of health services, as well as their health outcomes, is uncertain. First, there are methodological challenges to the evaluation of abortion laws, since these changes are not exogenous. Second, extant evaluations may be limited in terms of their generalizability, given variation in reforms across the abortion legality spectrum and differences in levels of implementation and enforcement cross-nationally. This systematic review aims to address this gap. Our aim is to systematically collect, evaluate, and synthesize empirical research evidence concerning the impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes in LMICs.Methods: We will conduct a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature on changes in abortion laws and women’s health services and outcomes in LMICs. We will search Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases, as well as grey literature and reference lists of included studies for further relevant literature. As our goal is to draw inference on the impact of abortion law reforms, we will include quasi-experimental studies examining the impact of change in abortion laws on at least one of our outcomes of interest. We will assess the methodological quality of studies using the quasi-experimental study designs series checklist. Due to anticipated heterogeneity in policy changes, outcomes, and study designs, we will synthesize results through a narrative description.Discussion: This review will systematically appraise and synthesize the research evidence on the impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes in LMICs. We will examine the effect of legislative reforms and investigate the conditions that might contribute to heterogeneous effects, including whether specific groups of women are differentially affected by abortion law reforms. We will discuss gaps and future directions for research. Findings from this review could provide evidence on emerging strategies to influence policy reforms, implement abortion services and scale up accessibility.Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42019126927

Psychiatry and Abortion*

1971 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Heath
Keyword(s):  
Mental Retardation ◽  
Psychiatric Illness ◽  
Criminal Code ◽  
Severe Mental Retardation ◽  
Therapeutic Abortion ◽  
Canadian Law ◽  
Personal Opinion ◽  
Abortion Laws ◽  
Legal Position

Recommendation for abortion on psychiatric grounds is becoming comparatively more frequent; however, except for severe mental retardation, there are no unequivocal psychiatric grounds. In countries with liberal abortion laws, abortions are recommended for sociomedical reasons much more often than for purely psychiatric reasons, and yet there is little data to enable the psychiatrist to assess these cases objectively and scientifically. He has to rely on his own personal opinion. It seems that psychiatric illness occurring as a result of therapeutic abortion is uncommon, but it does sometimes occur in women who are less psychologically healthy than normal. However no studies have been carried out on unselected cases. Studies on women who have been refused abortion show that the risk of suicide is almost nil, but in some circumstances the risk of criminal abortion is high, but again no studies have been done on unselected cases. The situation in countries with liberal abortion laws is described. The recent amendment to the Criminal Code of Canada does not change the legal position regarding abortion except for setting up a procedure to examine applications. The Canadian law still does not permit abortion for socio-medical, humanitarian or eugenic reasons. The role of Canadian psychiatrists in therapeutic abortion is discussed and a brief survey has been carried out on their interpretation of the law.

scholarly journals Impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes: a systematic review protocol

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Foluso Ishola ◽  
Vivian Ukah ◽  
Arijit Nandi
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Abortion Law ◽  
Women’S Health Services ◽  
Abortion Laws ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
The Impact

Abstract BackgroundA country’s abortion law is a key component in determining the enabling environment for safe abortion. While restrictive abortion laws still prevail in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), many countries have reformed their abortion laws, with the majority of them moving away from an absolute ban. However, the implications of these reforms on women’s access to and use of health services, as well as their health outcomes, is uncertain. First, there are methodological challenges to the evaluation of abortion laws, since these changes are not exogenous. Second, extant evaluations may be limited in terms of their generalizability, given variation in reforms across the abortion legality spectrum and differences in levels of implementation and enforcement cross-nationally. This systematic review aims to address this gap. Our aim is to systematically collect, evaluate, and synthesize empirical research evidence concerning the impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes in LMICs.MethodsWe will conduct a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature on changes in abortion laws and women’s health services and outcomes in LMICs. We will search Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases, as well as grey literature and reference lists of included studies for further relevant literature. As our goal is to draw inference on the impact of abortion law reforms, we will include quasi-experimental studies examining the impact of change in abortion laws on at least one of our outcomes of interest. We will assess the methodological quality of studies using the quasi-experimental study designs series checklist. Due to anticipated heterogeneity in policy changes, outcomes, and study designs, we will synthesize results through a narrative description.DiscussionThis review will systematically appraise and synthesize the research evidence on the impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes in LMICs. We will examine the effect of legislative reforms and investigate the conditions that might contribute to heterogeneous effects, including whether specific groups of women are differentially affected by abortion law reforms. We will discuss gaps and future directions for research. Findings from this review could provide evidence on emerging strategies to influence policy reforms, implement abortion services and scale up accessibility.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42019126927

scholarly journals Experiences of women in Ireland who accessed abortion by travelling abroad or by using abortion medication at home: a qualitative study

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail R A Aiken ◽  
Dana M Johnson ◽  
Kathleen Broussard ◽  
Elisa Padron
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Health ◽  
Medical Abortion ◽  
Safe Abortion ◽  
Abortion Law ◽  
Abortion Laws ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Post Abortion ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

BackgroundThe Republic of Ireland has one of the world’s most restrictive abortion laws, allowing abortion only to preserve a pregnant woman’s life. We examined the impact of the law on women’s options for accessing abortion, their decision-making regarding whichpathway to follow, and their experiences with their chosen approach.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 38 women who had either travelled abroad to access abortion in a clinic or had self-managed a medical abortion at home using online telemedicine, between 2010 and 2017. We coded interview transcripts according to an iteratively developed coding guide and performed a thematic analysis to identify key themes.ResultsWe identified four key themes: (1) self-managing a medical abortion at home using online telemedicine can be a preference over travelling abroad to access abortion services; (2) regardless of the pathway chosen, women experience a lack of pre- and post-abortion support in the Irish healthcare system; (3) feelings of desperation while searching for safe abortion care can lead to considering or attempting dangerous methods; and (4) Irish abortion law and attitudes have impacts beyond physical health considerations, engendering shame and stigma.ConclusionsDespite the country’s restrictive abortion law, women in Ireland do obtain abortions, using methods that are legal and safe elsewhere. However, the law negatively impacts women’s ability to discuss their options with their healthcare professionals and to seek follow-up care, and can have serious implications for their physical and emotional health. This study’s findings provide evidence to inform public and policy discourse on Ireland’s abortion laws.

scholarly journals The impact of Northern Ireland’s abortion laws on women’s abortion decision-making and experiences

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail R A Aiken ◽  
Elisa Padron ◽  
Kathleen Broussard ◽  
Dana Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Policy Debate ◽  
Medication Abortion ◽  
Abortion Laws ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundIn Northern Ireland, abortion is illegal except in very limited circumstances to preserve a woman’s life or to prevent permanent or long-term injury to her physical or mental health. Abortions conducted outside the law are a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment. We assessed the impacts of Northern Ireland’s abortion laws on women’s decision-making and experiences in accessing abortion.MethodsBetween April 2017 and February 2018 we interviewed 30 women living in Northern Ireland who had sought abortion by travelling to a clinic in Great Britain or by using online telemedicine to self-manage a medication abortion at home. We interviewed women both before and after a policy change that allowed women from Northern Ireland access to free abortion services in Great Britain. We used a semi-structured in-depth approach and analysed the interviews using grounded theory methodology to identify key themes.ResultsFour key findings emerged from our analysis: (1) women experience multiple barriers to travelling for abortion services, even when abortion is provided without charge; (2) self-management is often preferred over travel, but its criminalisation engenders fear and isolation; (3) obstruction of import of abortion medications by Northern Ireland Customs contributes to stress, anxiety, a higher risk of complications, and trial of ineffective or unsafe methods; and (4) lack of clarity surrounding the obligations of healthcare professionals in Northern Ireland causes mistrust of the healthcare system.ConclusionsNorthern Ireland’s abortion laws negatively affect the quality and safety of women’s healthcare and can have serious implications for women’s physical and emotional health. Our findings offer new perspectives for the current policy debate over Northern Ireland’s abortion laws and suggest a public health rationale for decriminalising abortion.

An estimate of the effect of abortions on the stillbirth rate

1979 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Gandy
Keyword(s):  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Stillbirth Rate ◽  
Abortion Laws ◽  
The Impact

SummaryConsideration is given to the impact of the change in the Abortion Laws in 1968 on the national stillbirth rate. From investigation of the demographic characteristics of women having abortions it appears that abortions accounted for at least 26% of the fall in the stillbirth rate from 1969 to 1974.

Some Problems in the Evaluation of Women for Therapeutic Abortion

1972 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-251
Author(s):  
David S. Werman ◽  
Roger F. Spencer
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Abortion ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Abortion Laws ◽  
Unwanted Pregnancies

Large numbers of patients with unwanted pregnancies are now being seen in areas where the abortion laws have been liberalized. A few frequently occurring psychologic mechanisms noted in these patients are described, and their significance for the consultant is noted.

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