second trimester abortion
public policy, women's health

vol 16 no 31 supplement

In March 2007 the International Consortium for Medical Abortion convened a conference in London on second trimester abortion, attended by 90 expert clinicians and advocates from all world regions. The conference highlighted the importance of second trimester abortion as a women's health, ethical and public policy issue. Papers reviewed the situation with respect to women's and providers' perspectives, safety and efficacy of methods, advocacy, legal and poiicy dimensions, access and service delivery issues, and the contribution of second trimester abortion to maternal morbidity and mortality.

We decided to focus on second trimester abortions because they happen, because almost no one wants to think about them and few clinicians want to provide them, but most importantly, because women need them.

This publication contains many of the papers from that conference and a number of others, and raises complex issues regarding methods, values, stigma, the burden on providers of service delivery and the sometimes complicated reality of women's lives and decisions.