AC T YOUTH FOR SAFE ABORTION A training guide for future health professionals ISBN: 1-933095-82-2 Produced in the United States of America. Börjesson, E., Pedersen, K., & Villa Torres, L. (2014). Youth act for safe abortion: A training guide for future health professionals. Chapel Hill, NC: Ipas. Ipas is a nonprofit organization that works around the world to increase women’s ability to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights, especially the right to safe abortion. We seek to eliminate unsafe abortion and the resulting deaths and injuries and to expand women’s access to comprehensive abortion care, includ- ing contraception and related reproductive health information and care. We strive to foster a legal, policy and social environment supportive of women’s rights to make their own sexual and repro- ductive health decisions freely and safely. Ipas is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contribu- tions to Ipas are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. The illustrations and photographs used in this publication are for illustrative purposes only. No similarity to any actual person, living or dead, is intended. For more information or to donate to Ipas: Ipas P.O. Box 9990 Chapel Hill, NC 27515 USA 1-919-967-7052 [email protected] www.ipas.org Printed on recycled paper. YOUTH ACT FOR SAFE ABORTION: A training guide for future health professionals Youth ACT for safe abortion i Acknowledgements Youth act for safe abortion: A training guide for future health professionals was written by the following Ipas staff and consultants: Evelina Börjesson Karah Pedersen Laura Villa Torres The following Ipas staff — along with colleagues from the International Federation of Med- ical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and the Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights — reviewed and provided valuable recommendations to the guide: Ipas IFMSA Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights Dr. Dalia Brahmi Joe Cherabie Clara Fok Dr. Eunice Lyndah Kemunto Brookman-Amissah Rachel Jacobson Cephas Ke-on Avoka Jina Dhillon Ivens Reis Reyner Joško Miše Cecilia Espinoza Agostinho Emanuel Alyson Hyman Moreira de Sousa Dr. Alice Mark Jeazul Ponce Dr. Alison Edelman Sanam Ladi Seyedian Katherine L. Turner Dimitris Stathis Emily Stewart Kelly Thompson Daniela Meneses Valle ii This training guide is a joint project by Ipas and the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA). The authors would like to express our gratitude to those who contributed to development of the guide. We extend our deep appreciation to IFMSA’s 2013-14 leaders, particularly Joško Miše and Kelly Thompson, for their many important contributions. They championed the development of the guide and provided valuable inputs during its design and review. We also thank the student facilitators who field-tested the guide, including Joe Cherabie, Cephas Ke-on Avoka, Jeazul Ponce, Dimitris Stathis, Emily Stewart and Kelly Thompson. Youth ACT for safe abortion iii iv Table of contents 1 Introduction to the guide 2 About the guide 5 How to use the guide for workshops 8 WORKSHOP TOOLS 9 I. Developing your workshop agenda 12 II. Pre-workshop participant questionnaire 15 III. Pre- and post-workshop assessment 19 IV. P re- and post-workshop assessment: Facilitator’s key 23 V. Workshop evaluation form 27 Module 1: Introduction to abortion 32 1.1 Defining abortion 34 1.2 Historical perspectives on abortion 35 1.3 Unsafe abortion: A modern day pandemic 36 1.4 How abortion affects future health professionals 38 MODULE 1 TOOLS 40 Handout 1: Introduction to abortion 42 Activity 1.A: The reasons why 47 Activity 1.B: A new perspective on abortion 61 Activity 1.C: Abortion and me Youth ACT for safe abortion v 65 Module 2: Human rights, gender and abortion 69 2.1 A rights-based approach to abortion 74 2.2 Gender and abortion 80 MODULE 2 TOOLS 82 Handout 2: Human rights, gender and abortion 84 Activity 2.A: Access denied: Human rights and abortion 89 Activity 2.B: Gender and abortion 93 Activity 2.C: Abortion as a men’s issue 97 Module 3: Barriers to safe abortion and strategies to address them 101 Barriers to safe abortion and strategies to address them 101 3.1 Legal and policy barriers 102 3.2 Social and cultural barriers 104 3.3 Health systems barriers 106 3.4 Addressing the barriers 108 MODULE 3 TOOLS 110 Handout 3: Barriers to safe abortion and strategies to address them 112 Activity 3.A: Understanding national abortion laws and policies 118 Activity 3.B: The quest for safe abortion: Barriers and strategies to address them vi 125 Module 4: Comprehensive abortion care 129 Comprehensive abortion care 129 4.1 Counseling 132 4.2 Abortion in the first trimester 137 4.3 Abortion in the second trimester 137 4.4 Abortion-related complications and postabortion care 140 MODULE 4 TOOLS 142 Handout 4: Comprehensive abortion care 143 Activity 4.A: Comprehensive abortion care crossword puzzle 148 Activity 4.B: Why I am an abortion provider 151 Module 5: Youth act for safe abortion 155 Youth act for safe abortion 155 5.1 Abortion advocacy 158 5.2 Peer education on abortion 159 5.3 Abortion accompaniment 161 5.4 Self-care 164 MODULE 5 TOOLS 166 Handout 5: Youth act for safe abortion 168 Activity 5.A: A call to action! 170 Activity 5.B: Advocacy perspectives and messages 178 Activity 5.C: Peer education on abortion 183 Activity 5.D: Supporting women during their abortion experiences 194 Glossary of terms 198 References Youth ACT for safe abortion vii