London, 10th March 2023
Every year, 10th March marks Abortion Provider Appreciation Day – a day dedicated to highlighting the work of abortion providers around the world.
On 10th March 1993, Dr. David Gunn was murdered by a white supremacist, anti-abortion extremist outside of his clinic in Pensacola, Florida.
To honour his life and his work, 10th March became Abortion Provider Appreciation Day in 1996. It is a day to celebrate those that work tirelessly to ensure that everyone can legally and safely access the reproductive healthcare they need and make their own choices about their bodies and their futures.
Celebrating our abortion providers
Our colleagues make it possible for people to access the reproductive healthcare they need every single day. We are grateful to our courageous team members who face down stigma and make sure our clients are treated with the support and compassion they deserve.
We love hearing from our colleagues about why they are proud to work for an abortion provider and smash the stigma that too many people still feel when accessing abortion care.
To challenge misconceptions about abortion and let others know about the work that we do at MSI Reproductive Choices UK, our colleagues have been sharing with us their experience of working for an abortion provider:
Sarah Salkeld, Associate Clinic Director at MSI UK, helps people access the treatment that is right for them, and works to expand access to both abortion and contraception services:
“It’s so empowering to be able to be in control of your own reproductive healthcare, and to be able to choose for yourself when and if you have children. At MSI UK, we just want to offer choice.”
Giselle Barnes, Clinical Services Matron in Bristol, provides compassionate care and support to our clients who visit our clinic in Bristol:
“Being able to go above and beyond is something I think we are particularly good at. A client comes here for an abortion, and we can then signpost to support for housing, support for childcare, mental health support – all these things that they didn’t come here for, but actually need. I think it’s an amazing thing to do. We don’t just provide abortion care –really, that’s a small part of what we do.”
Ben Tallis, Client Care Coordinator at our national call centre in Bristol, is there to support our clients from the very first moment that they contact us:
“Working for MSI is so rewarding because I know that we get to empower people to have that same resilience that inspired me growing up […] what we do as an organisation is a lifeline to so many. It is such a great reward to elevate people in times of adversity.
We often get asked how common abortion is, from people from various walks of life. The answer is that it is very common and not something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. It is an important decision that you need to make for yourself and you are definitely not alone. There are thousands of people out there in similar situations making these choices and we are here to support you regardless of what that decision may be.”
Ailish McEntee, UK Named Midwife for Safeguarding Adults and Children, listens to and supports those accessing our services, guaranteeing that the safety of our clients is our number one priority:
“There’s such a stigma surrounding abortion, and such a horrible burden that so many people carry around when they feel like they can’t talk about it.
[…] The main thing that I wanted to focus on is just normalising abortion and seeing it as something that should be accessible, just like all other healthcare. People should be able to talk about it if they want to talk about it. Just giving people that chance and opportunity is what I feel really passionate about.”
Grace Louisa Ash, Practice Development and Advocacy and Midwife, empowers our colleagues by providing personal and professional support to our nurses and midwives across England:
“I feel so proud to do the work that we do because when you look at the inequalities in access to abortion care across the world, you realise how incredibly lucky we are to be able to provide this service to our clients.
[…] I have never felt more like a midwife than I do in this role.”
Stephanie Pérez, Regional General Manager in Sussex, ensures the efficacy, safety and development of our services in Sussex, ensuring our clients receive the best quality care:
“I really love MSI’s values and that we never waver from the message: ‘If it’s your body, it’s your choice’. I want to promote that message all the time. That’s why I am so happy and proud to work for MSI.
Abortion care is an essential service, and we are supporting everybody to have a choice.”
Angela Gale, Registered Midwife in Maidstone, provides compassionate care and support to our clients who visit our clinic in Maidstone:
“My favourite part of the job is being supportive, empathetic, kind, and being able to make a difference. All I have ever wanted to do is help, so to be able to help someone in their decision makes me proud every day and that will never change. It is at the core of who I am as a human being.”
Abortion stories from our clients: the importance of abortion providers
In 2022, the reversal of abortion rights in the US showed us that it is more important than ever to stand with abortion providers and thank them for all they make possible.
Our clients share their abortion stories with us every day via our abortion story online form, often detailing the incredible care and support our MSI colleagues have provided:
“Every single professional I met at MSI did everything they could to make sure I was comfortable and supported.” A client shares her surgical abortion story, August 2022
“During my appointment with the most amazing, kind and caring midwife, I was offered support, reassurance, and most importantly the best advice she could give.” A client’s experience of choosing between a medical and surgical abortion, January 2023
“On the day of my appointment, I was very anxious but all the staff at the clinic were so friendly and patient. […] Although getting an abortion was a difficult experience, the staff at the MSI clinic made me feel reassured in my decision.” A client shares her story of travelling from Northern Ireland for a surgical abortion, January 2023
What can you do to show your support this Abortion Provider Appreciation Day?
As we celebrate and share our gratitude for abortion providers around the world today and every day, here are some things you can do to show that you appreciate abortion providers:
- We are collecting messages of appreciation to share with our abortion providers. Please use this online form or our abortion story form to send us your messages of thanks.
- Share your appreciation on social media using the hashtag #CelebrateAbortionProviders.
