Reproductive Loss International News
This page offers summaries and links to international news articles related to science and legislation on reproductive loss likely to be of interest to our audience.
Abortion
NSW Abortion Deserts: Just Three of 220 Public Hospitals Provide Terminations, Research Finds (By Melissa Davey, Nick Evershed, and Donna Lu)
December 16, 2024
A pro-life group has called for an end to postal access to abortion medication after a man was convicted of poisoning a woman with such pills. In 2022, Stuart Worby, 40, from Dereham, Norfolk, was sentenced to 12 years for sexually assaulting a pregnant woman and administering abortion drugs without her consent. Right To Life UK urged the government to suspend the pills-by-post mechanism introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service argues that restricting access would harm women seeking safe abortions. A recent study revealed that only three out of 220 public hospitals in New South Wales (NSW) offer surgical abortion services, creating significant access issues, especially in rural areas. This limited availability forces many women to travel long distances to Sydney or Canberra for care. The Australian Labor Party has yet to respond to a Senate report recommending expanded access to termination services in federally funded hospitals, despite receiving it nearly 500 days ago.
Brazilian Congressional Committee Votes for Bill to Ban Abortion (By Reuters)
November 27, 2024
A committee in Brazil's lower chamber of Congress approved a bill that would ban abortion in the country in all cases, including those fetal deformation, rape, or when the mother's health is in danger. The Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, where conservatives have a majority, voted 35-15 to approve a constitutional amendment to establish that the right to life applies from the moment of conception. The proposed bill will go to a special committee and discussions are anticipated to take place early next year. Liberal lawmakers criticized the amendment. They called it a "secular setback" and an attack on women's rights.
MEPs Discuss Poland’s Abortion Laws Amid Accusations of Human Rights Violations
October 24, 2024
Poland’s abortion rules, already among the most restrictive in Europe, were made even stricter after a Constitutional Tribunal ruling in 2020. The 2020 ruling introduced a near-total ban on the procedure with exclusions for rape, incest, or endangerment to the life of the woman.
The European Parliament recently held a debate on Poland’s abortion laws after a UN report stated Polish violations of women’s human rights. This was the culmination of a three-year investigation by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
As noted by the journalist, “Admitting that the regulation of abortion falls within the national jurisdiction of each member state, European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli said that EU members must also observe their constitutions and must not violate the fundamental rights of citizens.”
Canada spends $200M to promote abortion in Africa with help from an unsurprising source (By Wolfgang)
September 29, 2024
The Canadian government plans to donate another $200 million to advance “comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights” in Africa, with $48 million slated to go directly to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). There has been at least one investigation of IPPF’s long-term relationship with the China Family Planning Association. Obianuju Ekeocha, Nigerian-born, Catholic founder of Culture of Life Africa, biomedical scientist, and author of the 2018 book, “Target Africa: Ideological Neocolonialism in the Twenty-First Century,” is particularly concerned about Canada’s funding plans.
Chile Court Ends Abortion Ban (By Africanews)
August 8, 2024
A court in Chile ruled that a law legalizing abortion in specific situations is constitutional. Women will now be able to undergo an abortion when their life is in danger, a fetus is unviable, or in cases of rape. The ruling followed 3 years of heated debate from opponents. Chile was one of very few countries worldwide where abortion was illegal without any exception.
London Theater Pauses Play as Abortion Scene Leaves Audience Feeling Queasy (by Lianne Kolirin)
August 1, 2024
A play that opened in London recently was temporarily paused after audience members felt sick during a graphic scene depicting an abortion. Staff at the famous Almeida Theater in Islington, North London, were forced to suspend “The Years” for a short time on Monday after several audience members required assistance. The play, which runs for one hour and 55 minutes without an intermission, directed by Eline Arbo, is based on “Les Années,” the autobiography of Nobel Prize-winning French writer Annie Ernaux. According to the theater’s website, 5 actresses “bring one woman’s personal and political story to life, set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing post-war Europe.”
Support for legal abortion is widespread in many places, especially in Europe (By
Janell Fetterolf and Laura Clancy)
May 15, 2024
In most of the 27 places around the world surveyed by the Pew Research Center in 2023 and 2024, the majority of the population expressed beliefs that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. However, attitudes differed widely between nations, often within a country. According to the authors of this report, non-religious people, those on the ideological left, and women generally are more likely to support legal abortion in many locations. The Center found that a median of 66% of adults across all survey locations believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while a median of 30% believe it should be illegal in all or most cases.
Support for legal abortion is widespread in many places, especially in Europe (by Fetterolf 7 Clancy).
May 15, 2024
The Pew Research Center surveyed adults residing in 27 different countries in 2023 and 2024. Results indicated that a median of 66% of adults sampled endorsed legal abortion in all or most cases, while a median of 30% expressed opinions that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. Religiously unaffiliated adults, individuals on the ideological left, and women were had the highest levels of support for legal abortion in various locales.
Miscarriage/Still Birth
Parents Guaranteed Paid Leave After Miscarriage Under New British Bill
(By Wyndi Kappes)
March 7, 2025
New British legislation will guarantee parents up to two weeks of paid bereavement leave following pregnancy loss at any stage, expanding existing laws that only covered miscarriages occurring after 24 weeks of gestation. Recognizing the emotional and physical devastation miscarriage can bring, this law aims to replace outdated norms where women previously had to take sick leave, reinforcing harmful stigma. Labour MP Sarah Owen, drawing from her personal experience, emphasized the importance of addressing grief rather than treating miscarriage solely as a medical condition. Vicki Robinson from the Miscarriage Association shared this sentiment, stating miscarriage should not be viewed simply as an illness. Approximately 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, mainly before 28 weeks, highlighting the widespread need for this legislation. Part of broader employment rights reforms proposed by the Labour Party, the bill also extends bereavement leave to parents losing a child or partner during childbirth in England, Wales, and Scotland. Advocates see this legislative change as a crucial step in shifting societal attitudes toward miscarriage, promoting compassion, dignity, and proper acknowledgment of grief for affected families.
Germany Offers Maternity Leave for Women after Miscarriage
January 31, 2025
The German Bundestag (federal parliament and primary legislative body) has passed a bill allowing maternity leave to women who miscarry after the 13th week of pregnancy. The legislation extends existing rights covering births from the 24th week and beyond. Introduced by the conservative CDU/CSU bloc and supported by a cross-party agreement, the measure ensures women facing physical and emotional recovery can access mandatory leave if they are in need. Under the new regulation, women can opt out if they prefer. If approved by the Bundesrat (comprised of elected officials) the law could go into effect as early as June 1, 2025. There are approximately 6,000 miscarriages each year in Germany between the 13th and 24th weeks, with most miscarriages happening earlier. The change addresses a gap in maternity protection for women during a vulnerable period. Lawmakers see it as progress.
Vandana Sajnani Khattar Shares Heartbreaking Story of her Miscarriage: ‘The Doctor Told my husband is She Crazy Because the Baby is no more’ (By Lifestyle Desk)
December 31, 2024
Actress Vandana Sajnani Khattar recently shared her harrowing experience with miscarriage and the challenges she faced on her journey to motherhood. After conceiving shortly after marriage, she suffered a miscarriage in the fifth month of her pregnancy. Despite medical advice to undergo a C-section due to the baby's demise, Vandana insisted on a natural delivery, hoping to experience childbirth, fearing she might not conceive again. Multiple miscarriages followed this, failed IVF attempts, and surrogacy challenges. After 11 years of perseverance, Vandana and her husband, actor Rajesh Khattar, welcomed their son, Vanraj Krishna, embracing parenthood amidst previous heartbreaks.
Reps. Castor, Kim Urge Congress to Confront Stillbirth Public Health Crisis (By Jay Rhoden)
December 16, 2024
Representatives Young Kim (R-CA) and Kathy Castor (D-FL) are urging Congress to pass the bipartisan Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education (SHINE) for Autumn Act. This legislation aims to reduce stillbirth rates in the United States by enhancing data collection, research, and education. The bill proposes grants for states to improve stillbirth data reporting, develop guidelines by the Department of Health and Human Services, and establish a Perinatal Pathology Fellowship Program at the National Institutes of Health. With over 21,000 stillbirths occurring annually in the U.S., the act seeks to address this significant public health issue.
Stillborn Baby's Teddy Helps Parents Discuss Grief (By Sara Easedale)
December 8, 2024
After losing her stillborn son, Theo, in 2021, Ellie Harley-Jones from Anglesey found solace in creating a children's book featuring Theo's teddy bear as the main character. Encouraged by her mother, Ellie began drawing and writing, which she described as a cathartic process. The book not only helped her process her grief but also provided a way for others to approach and discuss the often-taboo subject of baby loss. Ellie hopes her illustrated tales of Theo Bear will encourage more people to open up about their experiences with miscarriage and stillbirth.
South Korea to extend paid leave for women who experience miscarriages or stillbirths (By Viet Nam News)
November 21, 2024
South Korea will extend paid leave for women who experience stillbirth before the 11th week of pregnancy, doubling the currently allotted leave from 5 to 10 days. These changes are slated to take effect on February 23, 2025, as part of broader measures designed to address the country’s declining birthrate. The amendments are the result of recommendations made by the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy.
Parents Say Public Record Means Son Will Not be Forgotten (By Flanagan)
October 20, 2024
Maria and Danny Moynihan were among the first parents in the Republic of Ireland to use a new facility that publicly memorializes stillborn babies. Danann's death was expected as he had been diagnosed with Edwards' syndrome at 20 weeks, a chromosomal disorder that usually leads to death either in utero or shortly after birth. The couple was able to spend a few days cuddling their tiny son’s body and saying goodbye, but they had little time to make memories with him.
When the Irish government recently launched its new Record of Stillbirths, Maria immediately felt compelled to add Danann's name. The searchable database was the result of many years of campaigning by baby loss charities to create a permanent public record for those bereaved by stillbirth.
Stillbirths and neonatal and infant mortality (By Nuffieldtrust)
August 29, 2024
Why First Nations Women Face Higher Stillbirth Risk (By Stuart-Butler and colleagues)
August 1, 2024
Australian national data indicates First Nations women face nearly twice the risk of stillbirth compared to non-First Nations women. To address the inequity, Australia's National Stillbirth Action Plan focuses on provision of culturally safe stillbirth prevention and care for First Nations women. This story addresses the need for understanding of the reasons behind the ongoing disparities in stillbirth rates and other pregnancy-related outcomes. The authors argue that much of the inequity is linked to the ongoing impact of colonization on First Nations women and birthing.
Preventing the Tragedy of Stillbirth: a Nation's Lifesaver (By Sally Mavin)
July 31, 2024
Manchester England houses one of few dedicated stillbirth research centers in the world. "Nothing prepares you for that amazing moment when your baby’s born. Shoshana was beautiful, she was perfect; she was everything that we would have wanted. But she was dead.” As the author of this article shares, “Antonia and her husband Simon are one of 5,000 families in the UK each year who go home from hospital without their baby.” In the UK, a baby is stillborn when they are born dead after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Although one in 220 babies is stillborn, little is known regarding why stillbirth occurs or how to prevent it, due to research being chronically underfunded. The author further notes that “care for mothers who are at risk of stillbirth, or for couples who have experienced the loss of their unborn child, is sorely limited.”
Private equity firms trail peers on miscarriage support (By McGachey)
March 6, 2024
A minority of private equity and venture capital firms have a written miscarriage policy (7%) according to an analysis of 119 companies by the non-profit Level20, which focuses on gender inequity. Twenty-nine percent of 85 UK respondents located in the UK, Europe and the US said they offered support or leave for staff who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks gestation as part of their maternity leave package.
Adoption
Activists Open Abortion Center in Front of Polish Parliament on Women’s Day (By Vanessa Gera)
March 8, 2025
Polish abortion rights activists opened a center named "Abotak" near parliament in Warsaw on International Women's Day, allowing women to have medical abortions alone or with others. This act symbolically challenges Poland's strict abortion laws, among Europe's most restrictive. Kinga Jelińska, an activist involved, emphasized that women frequently have secretive abortions at home, underscoring the need for safe clinics. Another founder, Justyna Wydrzyńska, previously convicted for assisting with an abortion, had her conviction recently overturned, highlighting ongoing legal conflicts. Activists hope the center will destigmatize abortion, but legislative change remains elusive. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, elected in 2023, promised to liberalize abortion laws but has struggled due to ideological divides within his coalition, acknowledging insufficient parliamentary support. Currently, abortion in Poland is legal only in cases of rape, incest, or health risks, with fetal deformities recently removed from exceptions. Despite restrictions, many Polish women continue to gain access to abortion pills from outside the country.
Article Link
Adopted Children to Have Closer Contact with Birth Families (By Sanchia Berg and Katie Inman)
November 6, 2024
Approximately 3,000 children are adopted in England each year. It’s a process that judges in family courts must approve. Judges also establish the level of contact the child will have with their birth parents, typically only letters sent a couple of times a year through an intermediary. A new report from a group set up by the senior judge in the family court recommends wholesale reform of the system. Following a four-year review, the 170-page report published today says more consideration should be given to whether adopted children should have face-to-face contact with significant people in their lives before adoption.
Among the dozens of recommendations are reforming the law on international adoption and setting up a national register for court adoption records to make it easier for people to find their files. The report also advises dropping the term “celebration” for parents’ last visit to court with the child they are adopting.
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I willingly, joyfully adopted my sons from Paraguay. I would never do it again (By Alonso)
September 26, 2024
The Associated Press, along with Frontline, recently described how many South Korean children had been stolen and trafficked into international adoption through widespread fraud. China suddenly stopped its international adoption program recently, while other countries have started doing the same. Rumors of stolen children in various countries, adopted by unsuspecting American and European parents, have persisted and are now being shown to be true. The author shares her moving story of adopting two sons from Paraguay nearly 30 years ago. She conveys how they have enriched her life immensely, yet questions whether the adoption was in her children’s best interests and the extent to which it was healthy for the biological families involved. A few excerpts are provided below.
“Simply being relinquished is a trauma that can cause abandonment issues that last a lifetime. I didn’t know any of that when I adopted my babies.”
“My kids weren’t stolen, but there have been confirmed cases of babies stolen in Paraguay, and everywhere else there is international adoption.”
“I cannot imagine my life without my sons. They are the foundation of my world, even as adults living their own lives in other cities. Every day for the last 30 years has been better because of them.”
“But I would not adopt again, at least not the same way I did back then, knowing what I know today. I feel complicit in one of the world’s greatest injustices, unintentionally perpetrated upon the people I love the most.”
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Western Nations Were Desperate for Korean Babies. Now Many Adoptees Believe They Were Stolen (By Kim Tong-Hyung & Claire Galofaro)
September 20, 2024
Yooree Kim entered a police station in Paris to report a crime. She said she was kidnapped 40 years ago from the other side of the world, and the French government endorsed the kidnapping. Kim sought to understand, “How was she, a bright, diligent schoolgirl with known parents whom she loved, documented as an abandoned orphan in South Korea in 1984 and sent to strangers in France?” Kim believes the government of France and many Western nations allowed families to “mail order children” through international adoption, with no protections in place. According to the journalists, Kim was “caught in an adoption machine that sent hundreds of thousands of Korean children to families in the United States, Europe, and Australia.” As adults, many discovered their adoption paperwork had been falsified, and they have been on a mission to find accountability.
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Widespread adoption fraud separated generations of Korean children from their families, AP finds
September 19, 2024
South Korea’s government, Western countries, and adoption agencies have worked together to supply 200,000 Korean children to parents overseas despite years of questionable or unethical practices. The situation was revealed in an Associated Press investigation. Children grew up and searched for their biological roots, and many found out that they were not who they were led to believe they were. Their stories have impacted the international adoption industry, which was built in South Korea and spread worldwide. European countries have launched investigations and halted international adoption. The South Korean government has accepted a fact-finding commission under pressure from adoptees, and hundreds have submitted their cases for review.
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Adoption aversion: Australia’s effort to right past wrongs leaves vulnerable children without the security a family could provide (By Amy Lewis).
March 7, 2024
Australia has undergone a major attitude shift since 1971, when adoptions were at an all-time high of 9,798 per year. National investigations in the 1980s revealed adoption scandals with hundreds of thousands of forced family separations across decades. Last year, only 208 children were placed for adoption, a 98% drop. In an attempt to reconcile past mistakes, Australia made adoption the last option for children in need and most children in protective custody now live in a state of “relational limbo.” Australia only permits adoption if the birth parents agree. If they don’t agree then children are placed into permanent care, which is an official relationship that doesn’t involve a name change or inheritance rights and ends abruptly when the child turns 18. Illustrative stories are shared in this article.
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