London, 26th September 2022
To mark World Contraception Day on 26th September and International Safe Abortion Day on 28th September, MSI Reproductive Choices is celebrating ‘Choice Week’ – a week to share the transformative power of reproductive choice and look at how we advocate for reproductive rights around the world.
What is Choice Week?
World Contraception Day takes place every year on 26th September. The annual worldwide campaign centres around a vision where every pregnancy is wanted. Launched in 2007, its mission is to improve awareness of contraception and to enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health.
International Safe Abortion Day takes place every year on 28th September. It was launched to campaign for global abortion rights, so that no abortion is unsafe and everyone has access to this essential healthcare.
This year, MSI Reproductive Choices is bringing these days together under Choice Week, to celebrate the transformative power of reproductive choice and invite pro-choice people everywhere to stand for choice.
Why reproductive choice matters
Reproductive choice means the power to decide if or when to become pregnant, with access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including contraception and abortion care.
This year, interest in abortion care and US abortion laws skyrocketed following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, removing the right to abortion in America. It shone a light on both the importance of reproductive choice and the fragility of reproductive rights.
How we advocate for abortion rights in the UK:
- At-home abortion services: In March 2022, MSI Reproductive Choices and UK partners successfully campaigned for at-home abortion services (telemedicine) to be available permanently in the UK, expanding access to a safe, effective, compassionate and often preferred service that transformed access to abortion care. To learn more, read our statement here: MSI Reproductive Choices UK comment on UK Government vote to keep the option of early medical abortion at home
- National buffer zones: We’re advocating for national buffer zones around abortion clinics across the UK, so that people can exercise their right to choose free from fear of harassment and intimidation. Read more about why we need national buffer zones here: Why we’re campaigning for national buffer zones outside UK abortion clinics.
- Decriminalisation of abortion care in Great Britain: In Great Britain, abortion currently sits within criminal law. This means that abortion is only legal if two doctors are satisfied that specific conditions are met. These laws are unnecessarily proscriptive and are not rooted in medical evidence. They limit reasons for choosing abortion, add bureaucratic barriers for a health service facing ever-increasing pressures, and restrict the ability of abortion providers to deliver flexible care in line with modern clinical standards. MSI Reproductive Choices UK is advocating for abortion in Great Britain to be removed from criminal law. To find out more about why we’re advocating for decriminalisation of abortion care, read our position paper here: Position Paper 2022: Decriminalisation of abortion care in Great Britain.
To learn more about Choice week and how you can get involved, visit our global website: Stand for Choice
