Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Meeting on Medical Abortion

September 22-23 Gynuity organized and hosted a meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia, entitled “Medical abortion in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Looking back and forging ahead.” Sixty colleagues from 14 countries participated in the meeting, including past and current Gynuity study investigators, clinicians, women’s health advocates, policy makers and representatives from national ministries of health. The day and a half meeting began with an overview of the state of medical abortion in the world and was followed by a presentation on a decade of Gynuity activities in the region. The meeting included various presentations and panels, and breakout and discussion sessions. New research results on simplifying medical abortion service delivery and current research on medical abortion in the late 1st and 2nd trimesters were shared, while other speakers focused on the economic impact of abortion restrictions on women. Representatives from each country were also given the opportunity to discuss country experiences on making medical abortion services accessible, including their achievements and challenges in improving abortion care for women.