Marie Stopes International News

Floods devastate Pakistan

11/08/2010 11:18:26

Karachi - Despite the devastation wreaked by the floods last week, Marie Stopes Society (MSS) in Pakistan is continuing to provide much needed health services in many of the affected areas.

MSS immediately responded by setting up four emergency medical camps in some of the worst struck areas. Teams of health providers are offering life saving health services, including reproductive health, to affected women and their families. To respond to the enormous need, MSS has drafted in other team members from less badly affected areas to help. So far, relief packages have been distributed to hundreds of people at the four camps and Direct Relief International is now airlifting US$335,000 in medical materials to MSS to help even more people in the medical camps.

Five MSS health centres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) have been badly damaged and the one in Nowshera completely destroyed. Others centres have been closed temporarily. In addition, many of its team members have been made homeless by the floods and lost all of their possessions. In Sukkur, two team members were trapped for a time on the roof of the centre there as flood waters rose.

The floods are the worst to hit the country in 80 years, and most badly hit areas include Charsadda, Swat, Peshawer, D.I.Khan and Nowshera. In the Punjab, Rajan pur, Layyah, Muzafargarh and Rahimyar Khan, districts have also been affected. The UN estimates that between 4 - 6 million people have been affected by the floods and continuing heavy rain is hampering relief efforts.

Five by Fifteen: Working in Partnership video launched

09/06/2010 15:07:06

London - Marie Stopes International is pleased to share the second of three videos in the Five by Fifteen initiative to highlight the contribution that family planning and reproductive healthcare can make to achieving Millennium Development Goal 5 by 2015.

The video, Working in Partnership, outlines some of the benefits of collaborative approaches to maternal health: more people reached, more women helped, more money, time and lives saved.

Rather than replicating facilities and infrastructure that already exist, we are harnessing private healthcare providers and government health facilities. The result is dramatically expanded access to quality family planning and reproductive healthcare services among low-income women and couples.

We hope you'll take time to look at the video and the Five by Fifteen website, which includes our Impact Calculator - a tool that shows the positive impact that voluntary family planning and reproductive healthcare can have on maternal mortality.

If you'd like to be kept up to date on the initiative, sign up for all the latest Five by Fifteen and Marie Stopes International news.

First ever TV commercial for unplanned pregnancy advisory services in Britain

24/05/2010 09:01:00

Marie Stopes International (MSI) has launched a broadcast campaign to raise awareness of sexual health and confront the taboo of abortion. The ground-breaking TV commercial first aired on British Television on 24th May 2010 and was shown throughout May and June.

The advert was created after independent research showed that only 42% of UK adults would know where to go for specialist advice (other than going to their GP) if they or their partner were faced with an unplanned pregnancy. The survey also showed that over three quarters of UK adults (76%) agree that commercials about unplanned pregnancy advice services should be allowed on TV, within appropriate broadcasting times.

The advert directs viewers to MSI’s 24hr helpline in the UK, offering confidential and impartial advice on a range of sexual health issues, and signposting to other services marked the launch of MSI’s public information campaign ‘Are You Late?’ The campaign aims to improve public understanding of unplanned pregnancy and to raise awareness of the services available to women who are faced with an unplanned pregnancy.

Though abortion has been legal in england, Wales and Scotland for 40 years, and one in three women will have an abortion in their lifetime, the subject is not always openly, or honestly, discussed. By bringing the issue out into the open, the advert helps to enable women to make informed and confident sexual health choices.

News of the TV advert generated considerable high-profile media attention, with over 585 news items worldwide. While there was strong debate, the message that it’s time for us all to talk about abortion more openly, to inform and empower women - and our offer of confi dential, impartial, 24/7 advice and support to women who need it – hit home, reaching a far wider public than ever before.

International Development Journalism Competition 2010 launched

03/03/2010 14:38:16

London - The Guardian and Marie Stopes International have launched the third annual International Development Journalism Competition.

This unique competition was the brainchild of Marie Stopes International and was designed, in partnership with the Guardian and with support from UKaid from the Department for International Development (DFID), to motivate and encourage new and existing journalists to write about some of the most important issues facing the developing world today.

The success of the competition to date has lead to unprecedented news coverage for some key development issues such as access to maternal health services in Nepal, the devastating impact of drought in northern Kenya and how climate change is affecting pastoralist communities in Africa.

Marie Stopes International CEO Dana Hovig said “We are delighted to be leading the NGO consortium on this competition for the third consecutive year. International development is such an important area and we must work together to ensure that the voices of the underserved people in the world are heard and their stories told.”

The International Development Journalism competition is supported by a consortium of NGOs including CBM UK, Hives Save Lives Africa, Leonard Cheshire Disability, Malaria Consortium, ORBIS, Saferworld and Save the Children.

For details of the competition, including information on how to enter, visit www.guardian.co.uk/journalismcompetition, the deadline for entries is Friday 30th April 2010.

Record increase in family planning and safe abortion services in 2009

03/02/2010 09:19:10

London - Marie Stopes International’s (MSI) programmes protected the equivalent of 17.8 million couples from unintended pregnancy in 2009, a 33% increase over the previous year and the largest annual growth in the organisation’s 33-year history, according to preliminary figures released today.

MSI family planning and reproductive health services across 43 countries averted over nine million unintended pregnancies, 2.6 million unsafe abortions, and nearly 35,000 maternal deaths, reducing global maternal mortality by about six percent. Most of MSI’s health impact in developing countries occurred in rural areas or urban slums, where the need for family planning and reproductive health services is greatest.

MSI’s family planning and safe abortion services spared individual households and national health budgets in developing countries more than US$1.5 billion in 2009.

“MSI continues to expand and evolve while maintaining our principles and our commitment to quality,” said MSI’s Chief Executive Dana Hovig. “Our focus on improving the quality, efficiency and impact of our programmes globally has produced the third consecutive year of robust growth in our contribution to reducing maternal deaths and achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5.”

Hovig attributed MSI’s 2009 results in part to increased investment by international donor partners such as the Netherlands Ministry for Development Cooperation and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

“The decision of the Dutch Government and UNFPA to increase their investment in MSI has had a direct effect on our ability to expand choice – of contraceptive method and of provider – for low-income women in the developing world,” he said.

Last year, Marie Stopes International:

added 55 clinics to an existing network of 560 clinics, and hundreds more outreach sites in rural areas and urban slums
expanded and improved the quality of its BlueStar social franchising network, launched in 2007, to over 1,000 private sector franchisees in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Madagascar and Viet Nam
provided over 1.6 million women or men with long-acting and permanent methods of contraception, a 33% increase on 2008
delivered over 920,000 safe medical and surgical abortions, a 56% increase on the previous year’s results
accounted for 20% of all modern method contraceptive use in Malawi, Sierra Leone and Tanzania, and 10% of all use in Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines, Uganda and Yemen.

“Achieving record results in 2009 cannot be an excuse for complacency,” said Hovig. “Quite the contrary, there is so much for all of us to do. We will continue to strive until every one of the 215 million women who want to use modern contraception but cannot access it is able to do so.”

Baroness Kinnock, Minister for Africa, visits Ethiopia programme

26/01/2010 17:42:00

Addis Ababa - Baroness Kinnock took time out from her visit to Ethiopia this week (26 January) to visit the Marie Stopes International programme here. The Baroness, who is in Ethiopia for the bi-anuual African Union meeting, was keen to see the programme in action as well as visit some of the other development initiatives supported by the British Government.

Together with the British Ambassador Norman Ling and DFID Health Advisor Ali Forder, she spent time at MSI Ethiopia’s busiest clinic in Tekle Haimanoit and took part in a community education programme in Addis Katama. Addis Katima is one of the capital’s one poorest neighbourhoods and home to many sex workers and rural migrants who have come to Addis Ababa seeking work.

The education programme was held during one of the community’s popular coffee which attract many local people, proving a perfect opportunity to communicate important health messages. Baroness Kinnock was warmly welcomed at the ceremony and during it took time to speak to a number of the women and children present.

At the end of her visit, Baroness Kinnock praised the work that MSI Ethiopia is doing and said: "I am a great supporter of Marie Stopes International’s work both in Ethiopia and globally”.

Guardian International Development Journalism Award winners announced

20/11/2009 17:29:00

London – On 19th November the winners of the prestigious Guardian International Development Journalism Competition were announced at an awards ceremony at the Royal Society for the Arts.

After the success of last year’s Guardian Development Journalism Competition, Marie Stopes International (MSI) partnered again with the Guardian newspaper for the 2009 awards. The Department for International Development (DFID) backed the competition as part of an initiative to raise public awareness of developing issues.

The awards encouraged journalists to cover underreported aspects of global poverty that deserve greater media exposure, such as maternal mortality in Nepal, deforestation in Tanzania, HIV in Lesotho and the plight of girl soldiers in Uganda returning home after conflict.

The articles entered for the competition have highlighted to the British public what is really happening around the world - making faraway issues more real, and helping locals understand the great work going on to strengthen societies in the developing world.

“Stories create connections and shrink the world reminding us that we are all one. And through such connections, we can motivate and inspire individuals to make a difference – to their own communities and to communities and countries around the world,” said MSI Chief Executive Dana Hovig at the Awards ceremony held in the end of November at the esteemed Royal Academy in London’s Piccadilly.

Hundreds of entrants submitted articles this year, and were narrowed down to sixteen finalists – eight amateurs, eight professionals. The finalists were then flown to a developing country and given assignments guided by a consortium of eight international NGOs led by MSI. The finalists’ articles were published in two Guardian newspaper supplements as well as on the Guardian online.

Nash Colundalur won the amateur category with his piece on the devastating impact of drought in northern Kenya. Preeti Jha was the professional winner with an article about how climate change is affecting pastoralist communities in the same region of Africa.

Alison Buckler received a special commendation in the amateur category for her piece for MSI about maternal health in Nepal. Mary Griffin received a special commendation in the professional category for her report on the Dalit women of Bangladesh and their struggle to end generations of oppression.

New for 2009 was an inaugural award for the people who have made a positive difference to the lives and livelihoods of some of the world's most marginalised people. The Guardian Achievements in International Development Award was a further way to bring the stories of some of the unsung heroes helping to reduce poverty around the world to the attention of the British public.

The public voted on a shortlist of five candidates for this new category, and chose Maggy Barankitse. Barankitse, nominated by ActionAid, runs Maison Shalom (or ‘House of Peace’), a home for children orphaned by conflict and HIV/Aids in the small town of Ruyigi in Burundi. Barankitse has helped over 30,000 children and families, including many orphaned or wounded in the massacres of the Burundian civil war or the genocide in Rwanda.

“The Guardian is delighted that with this new award, we can share these outstanding local success stories with our global audience,” said Elisabeth Ribbans, managing editor of the Guardian.

For further information on the achievements awards, and Barankitse’s Maison Shalom, please visit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/achievementsaward.

Murder of Dr George Tiller

04/06/2009 09:12:55

George Tiller, a highly respected American doctor who had provided abortion services to women for many years was shot dead on Sunday whilst attending a church service in his home town of Witchita, Kansas.

Marie Stopes International's Dr Kate Worsley, who knew George personally, paid the following tribute:

"I knew George from various meetings over the years, and he was a very gentle and generous man, who had put up with the constant threats against his personal security over many years, in order to provide women with a choice of abortion. He always tried to ensure that abortion services were provided with the upmost respect and care for the women and their partners requesting services.

"He was one of the very few people who provided the later abortions to women that needed them in the States, and as a result of his commitment to providing women with this choice had experienced years of threats against his personal security: he'd been shot and stabbed before; had his clinic bombed, flooded and vandalized; received decades of death threats; wild lawsuits; and was the unfortunate target of conservative media that hounded him. He persisted despite all of this, until yesterday.

"It is particularly shocking to know someone who has been murdered because he was an abortion provider. I think we'd all thought that this kind of violence that had been in the 1990’s in the US had gone away - and was a thing of the past. Unfortunately it seems that it isn’t."

May global news round-up

31/05/2009 14:08:00

THE PUSH JOURNAL MEDIA SUMMARY
June, 2009

Murder of Dr. George Tiller: Multiple media outlets reported and published op-eds and blogs May 31-June 11 on the murder of Dr. George Tiller, one of very few late-term abortion providers in the United States. Most discussed the impact of his death and the subsequent closure of his clinic on women, health providers and policy debates. In an editorial, the Washington Post (USA) wrote, "Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. is offering U.S. Marshals Service protection for abortion clinics and the doctors who staff them. It's the right call, but one that underscores the urgency of coming up with better solutions for the delivery of abortion services." Vicki Saporta of the National Abortion Federation said, "What made Dr. Tiller unusual was that he specialized in seeing women who found out late in very wanted pregnancies that they were carrying fetuses with anomalies that were incompatible with life." For his patients, "there was really no good choice. They needed to terminate their pregnancies to protect their own health, and he provided both the emotional and physical care for women in that situation."

Illegal Abortions Have Deadly Toll in Tanzania: The New York Times (USA) reported June 1 on the links connecting a lack of contraception, restrictions outlawing abortion and a shortage of medical personnel to Tanzania's high maternal mortality rate.

Vietnam Makes Progress Toward MDGs: VOVNews (Vietnam) reported June 2 that after eight years of working to integrate the Millennium Development Goals into its economic development agenda, Vietnam has made substantial progress toward reducing poverty and promoting education and gender equality.

Renewed Calls to Honour Pledges on Reproductive Health and Rights: IPS reported on June 6, The Boston Globe (USA) published an op-ed by rights advocates Alica Al-Yamin and Mary Robinson on June 4, and The New York Times (USA) published an editorial May 30 on calls by reproductive health advocates for renewed attention to reproductive health as a human right. IPS reported on the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and its "groundbreaking shift in the approach to reproductive health: women's reproductive capacity was to be transformed from an object of population control to a matter of women's empowerment to exercise personal autonomy." The Boston Globe noted "As a new member of the Human Rights Council, the United States has the chance to lead the way in promoting a woman's right to go through pregnancy and childbirth in safety and, just as important, to back up that assertion with adequate funding commitments." The New York Times highlighted that far too many people are still dying of preventable causes because there is a lack of resources and argued, "Wealthy countries promised nearly a decade ago to help the world's poorest to emerge from the deepest poverty. This is the wrong time to stop."

*New Oral Contraceptive Pill Launched in Europe: On June 9, Healthcare professional websites Hay Pharma and PharmiWeb.com featured articles regarding a new oral contraceptive pill launched in Europe. The pill, called Qlaira, delivers a hormone identical to that found naturally in a woman’s body. Dr Kate Worsley, Head of Medical Development at Marie Stopes International welcomed the increase in choice of contraceptive pill options, allowing women to ‘find an option that best suits her individual needs’.

New HIV Infection Rate Falls Among South Africa Teens: The Associated Press reported June 9 on a Human Sciences Research Council finding that the rate of new HIV infections has fallen dramatically among adolescents in South Africa. Olive Shisana, an author of the report, credited the decline to an increase in condom use among young men.

Obama Policy Moves Target Reproductive Health Policy: NPR featured an analysis June 9 by health correspondent Julie Rovner on Obama administration moves in recent months that relate to reproductive health and family planning. These include repeal of the Global Gag Rule, reinstatement of funding for UNFPA, moving to repeal the HHS Federal Refusal Rule and the selection of Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. It also noted that next month's hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor will likely focus on abortion.

Zambia to Invest in Midwives: The Times of Zambia (Zambia) reported June 9 on a government-sponsored campaign titled "Investing in Midwives" that seeks to accelerate progress toward the health-related Millennium Development Goals, numbers 3, 4 and 5.

*Male Circumcision Partnership Launch: Widespread African media outlets covered the June 11 launch of the Male Circumcision Partnership, a massive scale-up of voluntary male circumcision services in Swaziland and Zambia. Population Services International and partners including Marie Stopes International estimate that the project will provide voluntary male circumcision services to nearly 650,000 men.

Report Urges East Timor to Decriminalize Abortion and Promote Contraception: The Associated Press reported June 11 on a report that recommended the government loosen restrictions on abortion and promote contraception in order to combat the country's high incidence of maternal mortality. It was sponsored by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund; the Alola Foundation; East Timor's Health Ministry; and the Graduate School for Health Practice at Charles Darwin University, Australia.

*Economic Benefits of Using LARCs Highlighted in Kenya: The Standard (Kenya) reported June 11 on Sino (a contraceptive implant and long acting reversible contraceptive method, or LARC) being offered by Marie Stopes Kenya, and funded by Family Health International and the Gates Foundations. The article considers the cost-effectiveness and benefits of the implant, after the head of The Division of Reproductive Health in Kenya presented a costing slide at a meeting regarding long-acting contraceptive methods.

Kenya Programme Seeks to Make Hospital Birth Affordable: IPS reported June 12 on the Kenyan government's Reproductive Health Output-Based Approach, which seeks to combat maternal mortality by increasing the number of women who give birth in hospitals. The programme provides low-cost vouchers for women seeking skilled care during delivery, as well as access to prenatal and postnatal services from accredited health clinics.

Health Experts Develop AU Plan of Action: IPS reported June 12 that public health experts met in Mozambique to develop a plan to implement comprehensive reproductive and sexual health services throughout the continent. The plan will be considered for ratification by the African Union when it meets in September.

UN Addresses Financial Crisis, Announces New Funds For Achieving Millennium Development Goals: IPS reported June 15, 23 and 27 and NPR reported June 15 on United Nations efforts to address development issues in the midst of the global economic crisis. At a UN General Assembly conference on the crisis, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon criticized Western governments for providing less foreign assistance while at the same time providing funds to prop up financial institutions. The conference itself drew criticism for a lack of explicit attention to gender issues and the effects of the crisis on women. June 15 also marked the launch of a new UN initiative to provide funding for countries' efforts to meet the health-related Millennium Development Goals, which target children's and mothers' health, HIV/AIDS, malaria and other communicable diseases.

US Teen Pregnancy Draws Concern: ABC News Primetime (USA) featured an hour-long report on June 17 exploring the experiences of teen parents. A June 18 New York Times (USA) editorial focused on factors that contribute to the U.S.'s high teen pregnancy rate: "According to a new report from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, contraceptive use by teens has declined while their sexual activity has remained unchanged. This is a worrisome shift-and it has bearing on the coming budget battle in Congress."

Study Finds 25 Percent of Men in South Africa Admit to Committing Rape: The Guardian (UK) reported June 18 on a study by South Africa's Medical Research Council (MRC) finding that, of men surveyed, a quarter admitted to having committed rape. "The social space for debating these gender issues is now smaller than it was a few years ago. We need our government to show political leadership in changing attitudes. We need South African men, from the top to the grassroots, to take responsibility," said study co-author Professor Rachel Jewkes.

Report Finds Unintended Births Rise in Nigeria: Voice of America (USA) reported June 17 that despite major advances in women's education from 1990 to 2005, unintended pregnancy, early marriage and early births have increased in Nigeria, according to a Guttmacher Institute study.

UN Human Rights Council Passes Resolution on Maternal Health: The Hudson Valley Press (USA) reported June 18 and The Lancet (UK) published an editorial June 27 on the UN Human Rights Council's passage of a landmark resolution that recognizes preventable maternal mortality and morbidity as a human-rights issue. The Lancet wrote "The move is important because a human-rights approach to maternal health places specific legal and ethical obligations on states, such as the establishment of effective mechanisms of accountability."

Pregnant Women Face Risks in Pakistan Conflict: The Statesman (India) reported June 22 on the added risks faced by pregnant women displaced by conflict in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province. The Huffington Post published a blog June 19 by Bill Ryan, UNFPA Regional Communications Adviser for Asia and the Pacific, who noted "The hardships of flight and camp life, compounded by restricted mobility, increase the normally high risks women face during childbirth in this part of the world."

Politics and Women's Health in Kansas After Dr. Tiller: National Public Radio (USA) reported June 22 on the repercussions of the murder of late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller on women's health and activism related to abortion rights in Wichita, Kansas. It has been at the centre of the abortion debate for decades, but since Dr. Tiller's death activists wonder what will happen. Dr. Tiller was the only abortion provider in Wichita and the clinic he ran closed after his death.

US House Committee Approves Bill Increasing Funds for Family Planning: Congressional Quarterly Weekly (USA) reported June 22 that House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee approved $50 billion for international affairs programmes, including $648 million - $50 million above the request - for "basic reproductive health services," while retaining a ban on the use of US funds to provide abortions.

Reducing Maternal Mortality in Nigeria: The Daily Triumph (Nigeria) published an op-ed by Cyrus Nyengibi Lilian on June 23 highlighting the broad causes of maternal deaths and outlined strategies for combating them, including improving access to medical care, including delivery care and safe abortion.

*Department of Health Denies Cervical Screening Equality to English Women: Widespread UK media, including The Daily Mail, The Sun, The Guardian and The Times reported, June 24, on the UK’s Department of Health announcement that women under the age of 25 will not be routinely screened for cervical cancer in England, despite the fact that the national screening programme for women in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales begins at 20. This followed months of high-profile campaigning initiated by Marie Stopes International and others urging that the screening start age to be lowered, particularly after the sad death of celebrity Jade Goody from cervical cancer at the age of 27. Marie Stopes International announced its disappointment in the Government’s decision. Liz Davies, director of UK and Europe at MSI, also featured on ITV news and BBC Radio 1.

Few Rural Women Using Family Planning Services in Afghanistan: IRIN reported June 24 that, while family planning services are available in more than 90 percent of health facilities in Afghanistan, few women use them. Experts interviewed cited factors such as taboos around sex and contraception and a shortage of female health care workers.

Appeals Court Upholds Virginia Abortion Restriction: The Washington Post (USA) reported June 25 that a federal appeals court upheld, by a 6-5 vote, a law making it a criminal offense for doctors to perform a rare procedure often known as "partial birth" abortion.

Abortion Restrictions Imposed in Slovakia: IPS reported June 26 on new limits on women's access to abortion. These include: reporting requirements on doctors who perform abortions, limits on the time period when women can undergo the procedure and increasing the age at which women can obtain abortion without parental consent from 16 to 18.

With the exception of those items marked with an asterisk (*) all the summaries above are produced by the Communications Consortium Media Center, 401 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20004, 202.326.8700.

April global news round up

30/04/2009 12:44:00

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS

*”Family Planning is So Easy, Yet So Little is Invested in it”: On April 1, The Guardian (UK) featured a key note interview with Marie Stopes International’s Chief Executive Dana Hovig, covering all the recent developments on the international and domestic sexual and reproductive health (SRH) agenda. Dana took the opportunity to respond to those critics of MSI and the broader SRH agenda: “….the Daily Mail shouldn’t decide for women. The Pope – a man who has never had sex – shouldn’t and MSI shouldn’t. We should all provide information and facts and trust women to make their own decisions.”

Financial Crisis Threatens Development Gains: IPS reported April 2 and 8, on the annual session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development. Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, executive director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, declared, "We will not eradicate extreme poverty, hunger and inequality, and achieve the other Millennium Development Goals, unless greater attention is paid to population issues and more resources are devoted to women's empowerment and reproductive health," she said. The CPD recommended a tripling of investment in family planning, revising targets set in the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development Program of Action.

Chile Debates Decriminalizing Some Abortions: IPS reported April 2 that, ahead of presidential elections, a debate has arisen around decriminalizing therapeutic abortion.

Plan B May Soon Be Available to U.S. Adolescents: The Los Angeles Times (USA) reported April 5 that the emergency contraceptive Plan B may soon be approved for over-the-counter sale to women regardless of age.

*South African Women Warned Against ‘Dodgy’ Abortion Clinics: Eyewitness News (South Africa) reported April 6 that Marie Stopes South Africa (MSSA) was collaborating closely with police authorities to apprehend several; suspects under investigation for offering ‘backstreet abortions’. MSSA spokesperson Laila Abbas advised women looking for abortion to “look for a landline telephone number, not just a cell phone number. They must look for a proper brand like Marie Stopes. The facility needs to have a fixed address, not just a street corner.”

*Roman Catholic Archbishop Speaks Out Against Advertising Abortion: On April 10 and 11, The Irish News (Ireland) and The Birmingham Mail, The Belfast Telegraph and other UK media reported that the soon to be appointed Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Rev. Vincent Nichols called upon followers to oppose the proposed advertising of abortion and sexual health services on television. He said: “I doubt that any intended adverts about abortion would be fully truthful and tell the whole truth of the effects of abortion in a woman’s life.” The media reported that Marie Stopes International had welcomed the announcement and has said it would immediately consider running advertisements.

Spain Battles Itself on Abortion: The New York Times (USA) reported April 11 that proposed changes to Spain’s abortion laws would make abortion available on demand through 14 weeks gestation and through 22 weeks in cases of congenital fetal disorders or where continuing the pregnancy would endanger the woman’s life. The Catholic Church opposes the new law. Equality Minister Bibiana Aído called the new law “modern and sensible,” despite the fact that it does little to resolve disputes over abortion after 22 weeks, which is banned in all circumstances.

Proposed Repeal of “Conscience” Clause Attracts Opposition: The New York Times (USA) published a blog April 12 by Stanley Fish exploring philosophical and legal precedents for the debate over the Health and Human Services “conscience clause,” instituted on the last day of former President George W. Bush’s term. The Washington Times reported April 9 and CNN reported April 8 that “Freedom to Care,” an umbrella organization of Christian medical professionals, is opposing the rule’s repeal. The group claimed that repealing the rule, which grants medical professionals broad rights to refuse to participate in any procedure they find “morally objectionable,” would be a sign that the government had become “totalitarian and dangerous.”

Abortion Restrictions Advance in Oklahoma and Arizona: The Tulsa World (USA) reported April 15 that Oklahoma HB 1595, was passed by the state senate. The bill would require doctors to report to the state information such as how an abortion was paid for and why a woman chose to terminate her pregnancy. The Tucson Citizen (USA) published an op-ed April 13 by state senators Paula Aboud and Linda Lopez (both D-Tucson), opposing Arizona HB 2564, a bill that imposes multiple restrictions on women seeking reproductive health services, including emergency contraception and abortion.

USAID Directors Ask President Obama for More Family Planning Funding: Women’s eNews reported April 22 U.S. News and World Report published a blog by Paul Bedard on April 17 reporting that five former directors of USAID were set to issue a report requesting that funding for family planning services around the world be tripled, to $1.5 billion annually. The authors of the report, “Making the Case for U.S. International Family Planning Assistance,” argued, "It is time to reverse the decline in U.S. political and financial commitment.”

*First British TV Advertisement for Emergency Contraception Creates Controversy: The Independent, The Sun, The Daily Mirror (all UK) and other national media reported April 23 / 24 on the screening of the first UK TV advertisement promoting emergency contraception. The advertisement generated widespread debate polarized along the usual lines. Marie Stopes International welcomed the advertisement, which provides women with clarity about the treatment available to them should their regular contraception fail.

Clinton, Verveer Reiterate U.S. Support for Reproductive Health and Rights: The Associated Press and AFP reported April 23 on statements made by two Obama administration officials, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Melanne Verveer, ambassador for international women’s issues. Speaking at an event honoring Nafis Sadik, former executive director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, Ambassador Verveer, said that the Obama administration’s recent contribution of $50 million to the agency "will send an unambiguous signal to the world” that the U.S. is committed to goals to improve reproductive health and rights everywhere. In testimony before the House Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State Clinton endorsed comprehensive reproductive health care, including safe abortion.

Mexico City Abortion Reform Hailed, “Personhood” Laws Raise Ban Fears: The News (Mexico) reported April 23 and April 20 on Mexico’s abortion laws, which vary by state. In the two years since Mexico City legalized abortion and made the procedure available for free, health officials have noted dramatic drops in emergency hospital visits for women suffering complications from unsafe abortions, as well as reports of abandoned newborns. However, several Mexican states have implemented legislation defining embryos as people, and abortion rights advocates worry that a federal ban on abortion may be in the works.

Legislature Passes Anti-Abortion Amendment in Dominican Republic: IPS reported April 23 that, despite strong opposition from the groups of health professionals and women’s rights advocates, the legislature, under intense pressure from the Catholic Church, passed a constitutional amendment declaring that “The right to life is inviolable from conception until death.” The amendment, Article 30, would outlaw abortion without exception, including in the case of ectopic pregnancy, and likely prohibit several forms of contraceptives. Dr. Lillian Fundera, a gynecologist said the amendment "will increase maternal mortality. Many more women will die. Why? Because women will still seek abortions as they have always done.”

FDA Approves Over-the-Counter Access to Plan B for 17-Year-Olds: The Baltimore Sun published an editorial April 24 and The New York Times (USA) and the San Jose Mercury News (USA) published editorials April 23 endorsing a decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand over the counter access to the emergency contraceptive Plan B to seventeen-year olds, and the The New York Times reported April 23 on the FDA’s move, which complied with a federal judge’s ruling. The Mercury News argued, “Avoiding unwanted pregnancy is a desirable social goal, but the FDA has acted because Plan B is safe and effective, not because of ideology. It's a relief to see that standard return”

Lack of Access to Birth Control Remains Concern in Philippines: Xinhua reported April 24 on the prevalence of unintended pregnancy in the Philippines and the Philippine Daily Inquirer published a column April 17 by Rina Jimenez-David supporting a bill pending in the Philippines’ legislature to extend public funding for family planning.

*Clearing the Way for Compulsory Sex Education in the UK: The Guardian, Eastern Daily Press, Liverpool Daily Post, Express and Star and Catch 21 Westminster TV (all UK) and numerous other UK media sources reported April 27 government minister Sir Alasdair Macdonald’s announcement that sex and relationship education (SRE) is expected to become a compulsory part of the English national curriculum by 2011. Marie Stopes International was widely reported as welcoming the plans.

Family Planning Campaign Uses Grassroots Approach: The New Times (Rwanda) reported April 28 on an effort in to promote family planning, using community outreach to educate the public on the potential consequences of the country’s current rapid population growth.

Reproductive Health Advocates Assess Obama’s First 100 Days: The Associated Press and Reuters reported April 29 on statements President Barack Obama made regarding abortion rights during a press conference to mark his first 100 days in office, while multiple media outlets, including BirthControlWatch.org, Ms. Magazine and the Huffington Post published editorials and blogs April 28-April 30 by reproductive health advocates assessing the President’s progress. Addressing the news conference, Obama said, "I would like to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies that result in women feeling compelled to get an abortion, or at least considering getting an abortion, particularly if we can reduce the number of teen pregnancies." The editors of Ms. Magazine declared, “The Obama administration has taken giant strides for women in terms of employment, reproductive health and elevation of women’s rights domestically and globally.”

HIV & AIDS

Obama Administration Launches “Act Against AIDS” Campaign: The Washington Post (USA) published an editorial April 14 and reported April 8 on “Act Against AIDS,” a five-year, $45 million public awareness campaign to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in the U.S.

*Netball Helps in Awareness Drive: The Fiji Times reported April 19 that the National netball team had undergone HIV testing in Suva to help raise awareness of the disease. The tests were varied out by members of the Marie Stopes International Fiji team as part of the STOP HIV group.

Obama Picks Leader for Global AIDS Effort: The New York Times reported April 27 that President Barack Obama nominated Dr. Eric Goosby to run the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Dr. Goosby is a professor at the University of California San Francisco, and previously served in the Clinton administration. Read: The New York Times

WOMEN’S EQUALITY

China Birth Limits Create Gender Gap: The Associated Press reported April 12 that a study published in the British Medical Journal has found that China currently has 119 male births for every 100 girls and that this gender gap is likely to lead to civil unrest in years to come.

Afghan Shiite Personal Status Law Draws Protest, Foreign Opposition: The Associated Press reported April 15 that Afghan protestors opposing the country’s new Shiite Personal Status Law were met with violent opposition and accusations of foreign meddling. The Guardian (UK) and the Washington Post (USA) reported April 5 that Afghan President Hamid Karzai agreed to review the law, which grants men wide-ranging rights to restrict their wives’ activities and to demand sex every four days.

Irish Women Challenge Abortion Ban in European Court: The Irish Times (Ireland) reported April 21 that three women were set to challenge Ireland’s abortion ban in the European Court of Human Rights. The women’s case argues that the ban violated four articles in the European Convention on Human Rights, including protection from “inhuman or degrading treatment” and freedom from discrimination.

Health Care Reform is a Necessity for Women: The Huffington Post published a blog by Marcia Greenberger, Co-President of the National Women’s Law Center arguing that, for health care reform to work for women, it must include provisions to make care more affordable and universally accessible, and provide comprehensive benefits, including preventive and reproductive care.

EDITORIALS AND COLUMNS

Book, Columnists Advocate Investment in Women and Girls: The New York Times (USA) published a column April 5 and a blog April 15 by Nicholas Kristof, and National Public Radio’s Fresh Air (USA) featured an interview with Michelle Goldberg, author of The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power, and the Future of the World arguing that investment in women and girls’ well-being is essential to economic and social development. Kristof exerpted a passage from Goldberg’s book: “Women’s rights must not be treated as trivial adjuncts to great questions of war and peace, poverty and development. What’s at stake are not lifestyles but lives.”

Editorials Urge End to Abstinence-Only Funding: The Chattanooga Times Free Press (USA) published an editorial April 13 and the Boston Globe (USA) published an editorial April 10 urging Congress to invest in comprehensive sexuality education. The editorials noted the United States’ rising rates of teen pregnancy and STI infection and linked them to the government’s funding of abstinence-only programs.

With the exception of those items marked with an asterisk (*) all the summaries above are produced by the Communications Consortium Media Center, 401 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20004, 202.326.8700.

MSI calls for uniform cervical screening programme throughout the United Kingdom

23/03/2009 11:34:00

English women currently have to wait until they’re 25 to obtain screening which is available at 20 to women in the rest of the UK

To mark European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, the UK’s leading sexual health agency Marie Stopes International is calling for the NHS cervical screening programme to be standardised across the UK, so that all women start testing from the age of 20.

Currently screening begins at age 20 for women in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but women in England have to wait until they are 25.

“The recent high profile case of Jade Goody, who is battling the most virulent form of cervical cancer at just age 27 shows that this disease, whilst extremely rare among women under 30 is nevertheless a potential threat,” said Liz Davies, Marie Stopes International’s Director of UK and Europe.

“Certain lifestyle choices which are increasingly common among younger women and teenage girls, such as smoking and having unprotected sex from an early age, can increase the risk of developing cervical abnormalities.”

“Bringing screening for English women into line with the rest of the UK, can only prove to be a beneficial move.”

The National Cervical Screening programme has been an unprecedented success in the UK, with death rates from this form of cancer plummeting by 70% over the past 30 years.

Health minister Ann Keen, MP recently announced that the Department of Health will continue to review the case for lowering the age for cervical screening to start in England. Marie Stopes International claims, ironically, that the recent introduction of a cervical cancer vaccination programme, makes the case for doing this ever more pressing.

“The vaccination only protects against certain forms of the HPV virus, which is the major cause of cervical cancer,” said Ms Davies. “Our fear is that young girls who are being vaccinated now may think they are completely protected, which simply is not the case. It makes sense to start them thinking about their cervical health as early as possible, and universal screening from the age of 20 is a key strategy in achieving that.”

Marie Stopes International has now reduced its charge for private cervical smear testing at its clinics from £100 to £50 for women under the age of 25.

Free Christmas condoms

22/12/2008 00:00:00

It's coming up to Christmas again and everyone is starting to think about parties and having fun. As you get into the festive spirit, inhibitions can melt away and you may find yourself in a clinch that goes beyond a mere kiss under the mistletoe!

Every year in January and February Marie Stopes International (MSI) sees a rise in the number of women with unplanned pregnancy. National statistics support this with the highest numbers of abortions taking place in the first quarter of the year.

This year MSI is urging everyone to wrap up for Christmas and is providing free condoms through a special text service which is being promoted 'up in lights' on the world famous Piccadilly Circus screens.

Remember condoms are the only method of contraception that can help prevent unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

So if you are partying this year plan ahead, pack a condom and always play safe.

How to get your free Christmas condoms

The campaign runs from 8th December up until Christmas or until stocks last.
To apply for your free condoms, text safesex plus your name and address to 86122.

MSI defends Polish women's right to access abortion services in the UK

12/12/2008 00:00:00

London - National newspapers this week (December 15th) have carried stories alleging the up to 10,000 Polish women every year are accessing abortions in the UK at a cost to the NHS of more than £10 million.

Marie Stopes International today (17th December0 confirmed its support for Polish women who are forced to go to the extreme of travelling to the UK to access safe abortion services.

“As is the case in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta and other EU states, access to abortion is severely restricted in Poland,” said Liz Davies, Marie Stopes International’s UK and European Director. “Little wonder that, when faced with unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, these women will go to any lengths to end them, including travelling halfway across Europe. Any criticism should lie with those states that restrict women’s access to safe abortion, not with the women themselves.”

Ms Davies also criticised newspaper reports which implied that thousands of Polish women travelled to the UK exclusively to access abortion.

“There are many, many thousands of Polish women living, working and paying taxes in the UK. Inevitably some of these will fall pregnant and choose to terminate and they are fully entitled to access services on the NHS.

“From the records maintained on abortion, it is impossible to estimate what proportion of Polish women – if any – has entered the country under false pretences with the express purpose of getting an NHS abortion. It is divisive and unfair of the newspapers to make such claims.”

Marie Stopes International is the UK’s largest independent provider of abortion services, seeing one third of the entire annual caseload in England and Wales. The majority of the abortions MSI provides are carried out under under contract to the NHS.

Stitched up! Government kills pro choice amendments to the Human Fertilisations and Embryology Bill

12/10/2008 00:00:00

A dismal day for British women and British politics, 22nd October 2008 – nearly 41 years to the day since abortion was first legalised in Great Britain - could have gone down as a historic moment, when the UK modernised its abortion laws and women in Northern Ireland finally enjoyed equal reproductive choices. Instead, the day was marked by a remarkably cynical piece of parliamentary filibustering that has probably ended any chance of reforming the outmoded 1967 Abortion Act for a decade or more.

Everything seemed on track. Following the time limit debate in May, MPs from all three main parties tabled a number of amendments to bring legislation in line with women’s needs and clinical practice. The odds for winning the debate, which was expected to be tagged onto the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Bill, were high. Rarely has there been such a strong pro-choice majority in Parliament or such an opportunity to move the abortion debate forward.

But then it all fell apart. Alan Johnson, MP, Secretary of State for Health, and Harriet Harman, MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party – both of whom have a good track record on equality and women’s rights - tabled a little-used "procedural motion" which effectively denies MPs time to discuss abortion by setting out a strict timetable for the seven hour debate.

So why did abortion fall off the agenda? Two reasons have been invoked. Some claim the House of Lords disagreed with abortion amendments and would seek to restrict the law when the HFE Bill goes back there for final approval. Others that abortion amendments would derail the Northern Ireland peace agreement. Both arguments seem largely unpersuasive.

The reality is likely to be more cynical: that abortion headlines in the Daily Mail could damage Labour in the forthcoming by-election. But then surely the Prime Minister should have seized this unique opportunity to show leadership, appeal to his natural constituency – 83 per cent of the public support a woman’s right to choose – and attract more women voters. Sadly not.

Whatever the reason, Gordon’s ‘gag rule’ is a hugely missed opportunity and sits in stark contrast with the Labour’s equality policy which claims that the party is ‘winning for women’. But winning what exactly?

Human Fertilisation and Embroyology Bill reaches report stage

02/10/2008 00:00:00

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Bill will reach Report stage next week – the final step before making it onto the statute books. You will remember the bitter battle in May of this year which saw anti-choice amendments to reduce the time limit for abortion significantly defeated. With a large pro-choice majority in Westminster, now is the chance to truly improve the law for women.

On 22nd October, we anticipate MPs will vote on modernising amendments. Please write to your MP TODAY and ensure he / she supports the amendments (New Clauses) listed below.

To find out who your MP is, please click here: www.theyworkforyou.com then copy and paste the text below into the body of the e-mail.

Thank you for supporting women’s abortion rights.

TRUST WOMEN

When the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill reaches Report Stage on 22nd October you will have the opportunity to improve women’s reproductive healthcare in Britain for decades to come.
MPs from the three main parties have tabled amendments to modernise the 1967 Abortion Act in England, Wales and Scotland, in line with government sexual health policies, which aim to provide medical care closer to home, with greater patient choice and extend the Act to Northern Ireland.

Please support the following amendments:

New Clause 1 & 13: Removing the legal requirement for two doctors’ signatures to authorise abortions which can delay and is clinically redundant.

New Clause 2 & 14: Allowing suitably trained nurses and other health care practitioners to carry out abortions.

New Clause 7 & 10: Extending the locations where abortions can take place to primary care level.
New Clause 9: Allowing women the choice to be at home to complete early medical abortion. (see details below) .

New Clause 11: Ensuring that anti-abortion organisations are transparent about their position when offering pregnancy “counselling”.

New Clause 12: Clarify the limit of conscientious objection in respect of contraception provision.

New Clause 30: Extending the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland.

One of the above amendments, New Clause 9, will give women the choice of completing the second stage of an Early Medical Abortion (EMA) at home, in comfort and privacy, with continued medical advice and support, as women routinely do in the USA and many European countries.
EMA is a non-invasive, non-surgical early abortion, taking place from up to 9 weeks (28–63 days) of pregnancy using a two-drug regimen. This method of abortion, is favoured by many women in the UK and has increased national capacity for the provision of early abortion.

However, the law as currently interpreted by the Department of Health in this area, works against the best interests of women by requiring both medications to be administered within a hospital or clinic approved by the Secretary of State, requiring two separate visits for medication. Having to return for the second medication is clinically unnecessarily burdensome for women and costly for NHS to provide.

Charities including Marie Stopes International (MSI) and BPAS, the UK’s leading abortion providers, speak with thousands of women every year who, if given the choice, would prefer to take the second medication at home, rather than having to return to the clinic.

MSI conducted an acceptability study of clients who had opted for EMA and found that a staggering 91% said they were confident taking the second pill at home and would welcome having a choice.

The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee recently took evidence on this subject and agreed that ‘with appropriate follow-up procedure in place there is no evidence relating to safety, effectiveness and patient acceptability that should serve to deter Parliament ……. from amending the 1967 Act …. to allow the second dose of medication to be taken at home’1.

WOMEN NEED AN ABORTION LAW FIT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY– please
support these amendments.

1. House of Commons Science and Technology Committee. Scientific Developments Relating to the Abortion Act 1967, 12th Report of Session 2006-07. Vol.1. HC1045-I. November 2007.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

MSI e-postcard

MSI acceptability study

Commemorative bronze bust of Marie Stopes unveiled

02/10/2008 00:00:00

London: 2nd October 2008

Exactly 50 years after the death of Dr Marie Stopes, Marie Stopes International, the UK’s leading sexual health charity which bears her name, unveiled a bronze bust in her honour. The ceremony took place at the organisation’s central London clinic (108 Whitfield Street, W1T) which was formerly owned and managed by Dr Stopes herself.

The unveiling, which was attended by her son Harry Stopes-Roe and his wife together with their children and grandchildren, coincides with the Royal Mail’s launch of a commemorative stamp of Dr Marie Stopes on October 14th.

“Marie Stopes was a remarkable pioneer for family planning and women’s rights and it is fitting to remember her many achievements on the 50th anniversary of her death” explained Dana Hovig, CEO at Marie Stopes International.

“She set up the UK’s first ever family planning clinics which offered women of all classes access to free birth control. Thanks to her tireless work and highly publicised campaigning, Marie managed to open up discussion about sex and change public opinion at a time when the Church, society and the medical establishment were opposed to contraception” said Hovig.

“Her drive, determination and pioneering spirit lives on at Marie Stopes International and we are proud of and take inspiration from her many accomplishments,” he added.

To read about the launch of the commemorative stamp, please click here.

To read more about the life of Marie Stopes, please click here.

Marie Stopes International takes a leading role in World Contraception Day

26/09/2008 00:00:00

Marie Stopes International (MSI) has joined together with five other international and regional sexual and reproductive health organisations, including the Population Council and the Asia Pacific Council on Contraception in a show of support for World Contraception Day (WCD) – 26 September 2008.

This second year of WCD is especially poignant, as it marks the 40th anniversary of the United Nations declaration that contraception and family planning is as a basic human right. The Day, sponsored by Bayer Schering Pharma, highlights the impact of unplanned pregnancy and the importance of young people making informed choices about contraception.

MSI’s contribution in the lead up to the event included getting a variety of key healthcare providers involved; helping to distribute key literature about the contraceptive options and spreading the word about WCD through global networks.

The 2008 campaign aims to raise awareness amongst young people under the campaign motto ‘Your body, your life, your choice’. Seventy countries on four continents have been involved in educational activities and events to raise awareness of the importance of family planning and the UK is no exception.

Chief Executive of MSI, Dana Hovig warnsof the particular challenge that the UK faces: "Here in the UK we have the highest pregnancy teenage rate in Western Europe; twice that of Germany, three times the teenage pregnancy rate of France and five times the teenage pregnancy rate of the Netherlands. So we have a solution in contraception and some countries are getting this right, but we need to do better."

Pauline Beddoes, Nurse Manager at MSI, urges couples to adopt MSI’s mission statement of ‘children by choice, not chance’:

“Couples are focusing on the heat of the moment and not the potential consequences of their sexual encounters. It is vital that couples discuss contraception before having sex. We hope World Contraception Day encourages people to consider their contraceptive choices and the many contraceptive options available.”

MSI were delighted when media personality, Kelly Osbourne, agreed to act as this year’s global ambassador for WCD:

“This campaign is important because it empowers young people to make informed choices about contraception,” says Kelly Osbourne. “Today, young women face many pressures and challenges when dealing with relationships and sex, but my message is simple when it comes to contraception: it’s your life, it’s your body and it’s your choice.”

A study carried out by Kudos Research on behalf of MSI has worryingly showed that while Londoners are most likely to use contraception, nearly 43% of residents in the Midlands did not use protection.

This research has also highlighted the lack of communication between sexually active partners. More than 52% of sexually active people in the UK also admitted not talking to their partner about contraception before having sex.*

“When to have a baby is one of the biggest decisions in your life, says Osbourne. “Talk to your partner and your doctor about the best contraception and protection to empower you to make a conscious family planning decision.”

Hovig reiterates MSI's commitment to helping women to prevent unwanted pregnancies: " We are asking governments to invest more in family planning and sexual and reproductive health education. We are asking donors to invest more in family planning and to support private sector initiatives which can make a greater contribution to unwanted pregnancy an unsafe abortion because we know that family planning and providing choices saves lives."

* Kudos Research independently surveyed 1,000 men and women about their views on contraception and family planning, on behalf of Marie Stopes International.

To read the press release, please click here

Stamp of approval - a woman of 'firsts'

22/08/2008 00:00:00

In the wake of the controversy and debate which has arisen over the inclusion of Marie Stopes, in the Royal Mail’s Women of Distinction series of stamps next month, one should not lose sight of the huge difference she has made in helping women, and men, in their sexual health and reproductive needs, which continues to this day.

Marie Stopes has always been a woman of ‘firsts’. A talented student, she obtained a double first in botany and in 1905 became Britain's youngest Doctor of Science. But her fame was as a pioneer advocate of birth control and the reproductive health of women - no less important in the twenty-first century.

Controversy she may have courted, but it is difficult not to be astounded by Marie Stopes’ achievements - all the more remarkable if we view them in the context of the period in which she lived. A time, for example, where campaigning about birth-control could lead to imprisonment.

Born in the reign of Queen Victoria and growing up in Edwardian times, as a woman, she would have faced the socio-political restrictions of that era. Her academic achievements, and the associated elevation in status that would bring, would still have been dwarfed by the fact that as a woman, she had no political voice - no right to vote.

In a positive sense, Marie Stopes indeed became a product of her time – and joined other forward-thinking British women who began to challenge the status quo. The rumblings in women’s suffrage spurred Marie Stopes to turn her ideas into ‘bricks and mortar’. In 1921, she opened the UK’s first family planning clinic in Holloway, North London – seven years before women got the vote.

The opening of the clinic created one of the greatest social impacts of the 20th century and marked the start of a new era in which couples, for the first time, could reliably take control over their fertility. The clinic offered a free service to married women and also gathered scientific data about contraception.

Marie Stopes did more than make reproductive health care accessible for women – she endeavoured to change the mindset of a conservative society, and approach the subject of sex in the wider context of increasing sexual pleasure for couples. In our present voyeuristic, media-intrusive society, it is easy to dismiss the bravery of Marie Stopes in bringing sexual issues to the fore under a barrage of criticism from all quarters.

In 1925, the Marie Stopes Clinic moved to Whitfield Street in Central London, where it remains today as the flagship clinic of the modern organisation that bears her name: Marie Stopes International.

The modern organisation was set up by Dr Tim Black in 1975 and, continues to make pioneer strides around the world with a team of 5000 and support offices in London, Brussels, Melbourne, and Colorado.

Today, Marie Stopes International works in 43 countries around the world has 547 clinics and thousands of outreach sites and mobile services all providing high quality sexual and reproductive health care. An organisation of distinction, Marie Stopes International continues to receive a daily stamp of approval – from just over 5 million men and women a year who are grateful for the positive difference that MSI has made, and continues to make, in their lives.

For further information please refer to the below statement release:

“Marie Stopes deserves to be included in the Women of Distinction series of stamps by the Royal Mail” claims the charity that bears her name

The MSI Love Bus hits the V festival

16/08/2008 00:00:00

The team from Marie Stopes International Essex recently (August) took the MSI Love Bus to the V Festival in Chelmsford where its distinctive blue livery attracted hundreds.

From the bus, the team distributed free condoms, emergency contraception, leaflets on family planning and tests for sexually transmitted infections. They also went into the crowd to raise awarness of sexual and reproductive health and the work that MSI does.

Since December 2008, MSI has taken the Love Bus to a number of sites around England where it has proved to be a very successful way of promoting good sexual health and the services that MSI offers.

Central and Eastern Europeans in London needed for survey of sexual and reproductive health

22/07/2008 00:00:00

Are you Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak or Slovenian? University College London is running the SALLEE project, a survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles. It is funded by the Medical Research Council to address the health needs of Central and Eastern European communities in London. Please help us and your community by completing our anonymous and confidential questionnaire. You can complete it in your own language. Please click here www.ucl.ac.uk/sallee/

MSI launches new STI testing service at its South London Centre

22/06/2008 00:00:00

Marie Stopes International has launched a new comprehensive sexually transmitted infection testing service at its centre in south London. At all Marie Stopes centres chlamydia screening and treatment is provided.

Find out more about the new STI testing service for women

Find out more about the new STI testing service for men

MSI joins forces with The Guardian to launch International Development Journalism Competition

10/03/2008 00:00:00

Today (10th March) Marie Stopes international (MSI) has teamed up with The Guardian newspaper and seven other development agencies to launch a groundbreaking journalism competition.

The Guardian International Development Journalism Competition, which runs from today until 6th May, was launched with the generous financial support of the Department for International Development (DFID). Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary, said he is looking forward to this competition motivating a new generation of journalists to write about some of the most important global issues facing the developing world today.

“They will play a key role in helping to raise awareness and understanding among the UK public of the complexity of development issues, explaining how people are connected with people living on the other side of the globe.”

The seven other NGO partners are Camfed International, HelpAge International, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Malaria Consortium, Plan UK, Sightsavers International and WaterAid.

For more details of the competition, visit:

www.guardian.co.uk/developmentcompetition

Full press release

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill begins passage through the House of Commons

24/02/2008 00:00:00

Marie Stopes International will be closely monitoring the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill through the House of Commons this spring. Having passed through the House of Lords, the Bill is expected to get a first commons reading towards the end of February.

After a Second Reading, the Bill will pass into Committee Stage, where potential amendments around abortion are likely to be proposed from both pro choice and anti abortion parliamentarians.

Opposition to the current Abortion Law will be led by Nadine Dorries MP, who will propose reductions to the current 24 week abortion limit. It is also likely that mandatory counselling for women seeking abortion, as well as an enforced waiting period before a procedure (to give women a chance to fully consider the implications of a termination) will be proposed.

“Marie Stopes International strongly opposes any lowering of the current time limit for abortion,” said Liz Davies, Director of UK and Western Europe Operations. “A reduction would make the lives of the very few women seeking a later term procedure extremely difficult.

“We must recognise that there will always be a need for later terminations, as a proportion of women, through no fault of their own, either do not recognise symptoms of pregnancy or have no reason to suspect that they could possibly be pregnant at all if, for example, they are regularly using a modern form of contraception.”

“As a society we should be supporting women and respecting their right to choose what they consider to be in their own best interests and the interests of their existing families and their unborn child, not condemning them or calling for measures that would limit their options and cause real hardship.”

It is anticipated that Pro-Choice MPs will seek to introduce amendments to improve access to abortion. There may be calls to remove the requirement for two doctors’ signatures to allow an abortion to proceed. Additional proposals might include amendments to allow easier access to medical abortion by ensuring that the first pill can be given by a qualified practitioner, and then allowing women to complete the procedure by taking the second pill at home.

Thus far, anti-abortion lobbying in the House of Lords to bring about changes to current legislation has proved unsuccessful. On January 28th, the first vote on an abortion amendment to the Report stage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill took place in the House of Lords.

The amendment, tabled by Baroness Masham of Ilton, would have removed the right to abortion on grounds of fetal abnormality. The proposed amendment, which was the first serious attempt to change the law for 17 years, was defeated by 89 votes to 22.

Marie Stopes International will continue to report on the bill’s progress through the House of Commons.

Stock up on emergency contraception and condoms

22/12/2007 00:00:00

Marie Stopes International (MSI), is offering festive family planning packs (containing emergency contraception and condoms) at £15 in an effort to reduce the incidence of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections over Christmas and the New Year.

The Christmas period is typically a time of excess alcohol, fewer inhibitions and casual hook ups. Unfortunately, this can lead to a failure to use contraception which results in increasing numbers of unwanted pregnancies and a heightened chance of contracting STI’s. In January and February of 2007, more women than ever before in MSI’s thirty year history, attended its nine UK centres for abortion services.

Startling figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) illustrate that the number of sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) diagnosed has grown every year since 1997.

According to 2004 survey commissioned by Trojan Condoms, which asked UK office workers about their attitudes to works Christmas parties, almost one third (33%) of those surveyed claimed to have had sex with a colleague either during or after an office party whilst, 41% confessed they were unlikely to carry condoms.

Research published just this week in the International Journal of STD & AIDS, claims that 76% of respondents attending a GUM clinic admitted to having unprotected sex as a result of drinking.

“Everyone wants to unwind and have fun at Christmas but it’s incredibly important that we take more care of ourselves,” said Liz Davies, Director of UK Operations at Marie Stopes International.

“Figures from the Health Protection Agency and MSI’s own experience as an abortion provider, suggest that contraceptive methods are not being used sufficiently or effectively enough. We hope that offering festive family planning packs at such a good price will help encourage people to look after themselves and make prevention rather than cure a priority.“

Each pack contains two condoms, two luminous spikeys (to stop people spiking your drink), the Emergency Contraception pill (Levonelle 1500), a pocket sized Christmas sexual health guide and even a festive chocolate.

“At £15, our festive family planning packs are much cheaper than getting emergency contraception and condoms over the counter at a pharmacy” adds Liz Davies. “It also makes sense to buy the emergency contraception pill in advance as the earlier you take it after a contraceptive accident, the more effective it is. Of course it’s always sensible to stock up on contraception before the party season as it means you don’t have to panic later on especially when many local surgeries and pharmacies are closed over the Christmas period.”

For further information or to arrange a consultation call 0845 3008090.

Lord Steel supports reform of his own 1967 Abortion Act

24/10/2007 00:00:00

Speaking at Marie Stopes International’s Global Safe Abortion Conference in London on Wednesday (24 October), Lord David Steel endorsed calls for reforms to end the requirement for the written consent of two doctors before any abortion can proceed.

To an audience of nearly 800 doctors, politicians, pro-choice activists, donors and members of civil society from over 60 countries, the architect of the 1967 Abortion Act said:

“Many argue that the “two doctors” requirement causes undesirable delay, and since 1967 many of our European neighbours have legislated for abortion up to the 12th or 13th week of pregnancy without such a requirement. The [Parliamentary Science and Technology] Committee should address that.”

Lord Steel also appeared to back the Department of Health position on retaining the current 24 week limit for most abortions.

“There needs to be convincing evidence of viability earlier than that to justify a further change – improvements in photographic technique are not themselves sufficient.”

Lord Steel also clarified his position on the number of abortions carried out in Britain today.

“There can be no such thing as a “correct” number of abortions,” he said. “We in Britain have a much lower rate than in the USA where the subject is a bigger and sometimes more violent debate.

“Each individual case has to be considered on its merits, and the best person to judge that is in most cases the pregnant woman herself.”

Lord Steel was speaking at the final plenary session at the conference, which was organised by Marie Stopes International in association with Abortion Rights and Ipas. The conference was convened to mark the 40th anniversary of Lord Steel’s groundbreaking act (27 October, 2007) and also explored abortion as a global public health and rights issue which annual claims 66,000 women’s lives.

MSI convenes first-ever Global Safe Abortion Conference

14/10/2007 00:00:00

London, 22 October – More than 700 public health experts, government representatives and women’s advocates from 52 countries will gather in London this week for the Marie Stopes Global Safe Abortion Conference.

This first-ever conference dedicated specifically to the issue of unsafe abortion will seek to build momentum around international efforts to reduce the unacceptable toll unsafe abortion has on women’s lives. Millions of women suffer severe injuries and more than 66,000 die needlessly each year from abortions that are self-induced or procured unsafely from unskilled providers, almost all in developing countries.

Conference speakers include Bert Koenders, the Netherlands’ Minister for Development Cooperation; Prof. Fred Sai of Ghana; Dr Eunice Brookman-Amissah, former health minister of Ghana and Ipas Vice- President for Africa; Jon O'Brien, President of Catholics for a Free Choice; Dr Akinrinola Bankole of the Guttmacher Institute; and Marie O'Riordan, editor of the influential UK Marie Claire magazine.

The Conference, in association with Ipas and Abortion Rights, will take place at the QEII Conference Centre in London between 23-24 October. For more information please visit www.globalsafeabortion.org

Vasectomy Awareness Week

06/09/2007 00:00:00

For the last four years, Marie Stopes International has held a vasectomy awareness week in September to raise awareness of vasectomy as an effective and popular form of contraception, and to hep break down the myths and misinformation surrounding this method. As with previous years, this year’s campaign was a huge success with extensive radio coverage, and promotions in and around the nine MSI UK centres. One outdoor promotion included advertising on bikes and promo mini mobiles around the centres for the week.

Download the pdfs to see the images used on the bikes and vans.

What young people think of their sex education

19/08/2007 00:00:00

Marie Stopes International were asked to comment on recent surveys which asked young people what they thought of their sex education at school. The results of the surveys showed that young people rated their sex education as quite poor, and as a result of this were forced to seek not always accurate information from elsewhere, including the internet and from friends.

In response to this Marie Stopes International are currently conducting our own survey of young peoples views of sex education through our youth website www.likeitis.org, the results of this will be published here shortly. In the meantime, click here to listen to our radio interviews.

Highest ever abortion figures

16/02/2007 00:00:00

Marie Stopes International has recorded its busiest ever month for abortion services in its 32 year history. The agency provided abortion services to nearly 6,000 clients at its nine UK centres in January 2007 – an increase of 13% on January 2006.

“It’s too soon to say whether the figures we have recorded will be reflected across the country in official national statistics to be published later this year,” said Liz Davies, Director of Marie Stopes International’s UK Operations.

“It does seem, however, that we may be seeing the consequences of the festive season, when partying excess and alcohol consumption combine to increase libido and lower inhibition, with the inevitable consequences of unprotected sex resulting in unplanned pregnancies.”

Press release

Valentine vasectomy voucher

14/02/2007 00:00:00

To mark Valentine’s Day 2007, Marie Stopes International is offering men a special Valentine card to give to their partner bearing the message “I promise to book myself a Valentine vasectomy”. The card also contains a voucher offering men a £45 discount if they make a vasectomy booking at a MSI centre before June 1 2007.

As an added incentive if they book before May 1 clients will also be entered into a prize draw to win £100 towards a romantic dinner for two at a restaurant of their choice.

“Vasectomy is a quick and simple procedure already chosen by 13% of British men,” says MSI’s Marketing Manager Julie Douglas. “It’s a very effective method of contraception for couples whose families are complete".

Press release