Articles about Lebanon

Understanding abortion: a visual resource aims to fill a gap in communication, reducing literacy and language barriers around abortion messaging. It can be used with a range of different audiences, including people with learning disabilities, to support them in the process of making an informed and consensual decision on pregnancy and abortion. This resource offers an insight into what the process of having an abortion is like, showing what a young person’s journey would be if they decided to have an abortion. It is aimed to support community health workers, young people, and others people advocating for an increase in knowledge and information on abortion and reducing the stigma surrounding it. This is a versatile tool, in which the reader can select the most relevant parts of the story according to their needs or those of their audience. We hope this tool can support those who require more information and may need to access safe abortion services. This resource can be used on its own or alongside other IPPF resources around abortion, such as the How to talk about abortion: a guide to rights based messaging or How to educate about abortion: A guide for peer educators, teachers and trainers. In addition, IPPF have produced videos on What is a surgical abortion and What is a medical abortion. For further information on this resource, such as translation into other languages, contact [email protected].

Ever wonder how medical abortion also known as the 'abortion pill', works? In this explainer video, we go through the steps of what to expect during a medical abortion. Please note that this video is an overview of the procedure. For further details on medical abortion, contact your local healthcare provider.

Watch our surgical abortion explainer video to find out more about the procedure. Please note this is a brief overview of surgical abortion. Contact your local healthcare provider to discuss further details and options available to you.

How to talk about abortion: A guide to rights-based messaging (updated February 2019) provides useful tips and advice on what to consider when developing materials relating to abortion. The content includes examples of positive, rights-based messages, and how to avoid using stigmatizing language and images. This guide can be used by educators, advocates, programmers, health professionals and policy makers, among others, to help inform the development of a wide range of communication materials.

How to talk about abortion: A guide to rights-based messaging(updated February 2019) provides useful tips and advice on what to consider when developing materials relating to abortion. The content includes examples of positive, rights-based messages, and how to avoid using stigmatizing language and images. This guide can be used by; educators, advocates, programmers, health professionals and policy makers, among others, to help inform the development of a wide range of communication materials.

How to educate about abortion: A guide for peer educators, teachers and trainers, has been developed for trainers and educators who want to deliver workshops or training on abortion to young people, especially those training young peer educators. The guide includes key terms, instructions for facilitators as well as specific activities that educators can use.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation welcomes the news of the removal of abortion care from South Korea’s Criminal Code effective from 1 January 2021. This means those seeking abortion care will no longer face legal barriers in accessing care. Abortion in South Korea was illegal in most circumstances from 1953 to 2020. On April 11, 2019, the Constitutional Court ruled the abortion ban unconstitutional and ordered the law's revision by the end of 2020. Revisions to the law were proposed in October 2020, but not voted on by the deadline of 31 December 2020. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that they will consider expanding coverage of health insurance to include abortion care and the approval of mifepristone (used in medical abortion). IPPF’s Director-General, Dr Alvaro Bermejo said: “Abortion care is a human right, and those rights are now being realized in countries with some of the strictest abortion laws. The decision to remove abortion from South Korea’s criminal code is a step in the right direction for women’s rights, but we also know there is much work to do.  ‘Conscientious objection’ cannot be allowed to limit access to abortion care. IPPF and its Member Associations will continue to fight for safe and legal abortion care for those who need it.”  Ms Kyung Ae Cho, Secretary-General, Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association (KoPHWA) said:  “I am pleased that we reached here today [repeal of the criminal provision on abortion] as a result of many years of efforts led by Korean women.  With these changes, law amendments and services are urgently needed, including expanding Universal Health Coverage (UHC), to ensure equal access to reproductive healthcare for all women. We [KoPHWA] shall continue to deliver accurate and rights-based information and counselling on safe abortion care appropriate to the Korean women context, and contribute to the fulfilment of universal access to sexual and reproductive health for all women worldwide.” 

This programme addresses critical challenges faced by young women around sexual health and sexuality. It has produced a range of advocacy, education and informational materials to support research, awareness-raising, advocacy and service delivery.  Girls Decide is about the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women. Around the world, girls aged 10 to 19 account for 23% of all disease associated with pregnancy and childbirth. An estimated 2.5 million have unsafe abortions every year. Worldwide, young women account for 60% of the 5.5 million young people living with HIV and/or AIDS. Girls Decide has produced a range of advocacy, education and informational materials to support work to improve sexual health and rights for girls and young women. These include a series of films on sexual and reproductive health decisions faced by 6 young women in 6 different countries. The films won the prestigious International Video and Communications Award (IVCA). When girls and young women have access to critical lifesaving services and information, and when they are able to make meaningful choices about their life path, they are empowered. Their quality of life improves, as does the well-being of their families and the communities in which they live. Their collective ability to achieve internationally agreed development goals is strengthened. Almost all IPPF Member Associations provide services to young people and 1 in every 3 clients is a young person below the age of 25. All young women and girls are rights-holders and are entitled to sexual and reproductive rights.

This short film examines the effects of criminalizing abortion in the region through the lens of women. Nearly half of all abortions worldwide are illegal and most illegal abortions are taking place in developing countries. Over 3 million unsafe abortions happen yearly in this region, with poor and rural women more likely to experience severe complications as they depend on unsafe methods and providers.

Halimah was 17 when she made this film. This is the story of what happened when she first had unprotected sex: how she was ostracised by her family and thrown out of school, and how she felt that her future had been taken away. Things looked bleak for Halimah but that’s not quite the end of the story...