Why I 'Stand in Awe of all Mná' Voting to Repeal the Eighth

In rural areas in India, lack of physicians is a big barrier to safe abortions, leading women to undergo deadly procedures. A proposed law by the Indian government would allow midwives and mid-level providers to perform abortions.

Due to patrilineality, sons are highly favored over daughters in many countries, with serious consequence. South Korea, the only country to have returned to normal sex ratios after having a highly abnormal ratio of boys:girls, has lessons for other countries.

In Brazil, more than 2,000 babies have been born with microcephaly, abnormally small heads and brain damage caused by the Zika virus. Colombia is the second hardest hit country by Zika but abortions lowered the microcephaly rate because of looser abortion laws and better informed mothers.

In Uruguay, illegality and stigma surrounding abortions resulted in problems with maternal mortality rates. Utilizing a unique solution, a medical protocol was created to provide initial information and followup care to women seeking abortions.

Access to safe abortions and pregnancy termination medications has been of intense debate and restriction. This article looks at campaigns to increase access to an under-recognized form of medication that can serve as a "plan-c" for women.

Fabella Hospital in Manila is overrun with women in labor or recovering, it exemplifies the overpopulation of the area due to a lack of contraception and family planning access. The Philippines’ Reproductive Health Bill hopes to change this by allowing contraception to be available at public health places and allowing family planning services at these facilities.

Cultural stigmas, a lack of information, and shortages of qualified providers mean that - despite being a legal process - millions of women in India still suffer and die from botched and back-ally abortions each year. The Ipas Development Foundation is working to change perceptions and save lives by providing training and certifications to healthcare workers, passing out free contraception, helping break social taboos, and distributing informational resources communicating women's rights to reproductive healthcare.

In Armenia, sons are far more desired than daughters leading to a high prevalence of sex-selective abortions that is resulting in a shortage of girls. 'Save the Children' works with families to help them see how similar girls and boys are, in order to help decrease abortions.

Abortion is a highly stigmatized topic that can lead individuals to selectively disclose who they tell about the experience. Storytelling is now being viewed as a way to help de-stigmatize abortion based on contact theory and empathy as a means of bringing people together.

A Buffalo, New York clinic provides a space for both abortions and natural births. In looking at the experiences as a continuum, rather than as juxtiposing sides, the hope is to change how people think about the birth experiences.