Every nine minutes a woman dies as the result of a clandestine abortion

Access to contraception and safe abortion is a public health issue. Too many women and girls, particularly in low-income countries and those living in vulnerable situations, have no control over their own sexual life. Médecins du Monde actively supports the right for all to be able to use safe and effective contraception (including emergency contraception) to avoid unwanted pregnancy and access to risk-free, legal abortion.

In all regions of the world, countries have tried, and continue to try, to limit access to abortion, by adopting restrictive and repressive legislation. However, banning abortion does not reduce the number of abortions. On the contrary, it has the consequence of casting abortions into the shadows and exposing people who need one to major risks to their health and life. To this day, around 47,000 women die each year from abortions carried out under dangerous conditions.

Our work involves strengthening local services and undertaking advocacy to promote SRHR in France and in a number of countries in which MdM projects are implemented. 

Médecins du Monde is particularly active with vulnerable people. We act alongside civil society actors and healthcare professionals to lift the barriers blocking access to safe and effective contraception and to managing unwanted pregnancies. Some of the places in which Médecins du Monde and our partners work include Burkina Faso, DRC, Côte d’Ivoire, Mexico, Haiti and Palestine.