A local service offering abortion and reproductive health advice received just over 200 requests for help in the first six months since its launch in the middle of the pandemic.
Family Planning Advisory Service went online in August in response to what its co-founder Dr Isabel Stabile said was “a massive increase in traffic” to Doctors for Choice, the NGO that advocates for reproductive rights.
The demand for information was from people unable to access abortion services due to travel restrictions, she said. Abortion is illegal under any circumstances in Malta.
“Although opposition to abortion in the general population is high, the significant numbers of persons calling the advisory service for help clearly shows that there is a thirst for unbiased reproductive health education on the island,” Stabile pointed out.
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Over 200 reach out to Abortion Support Network since 2019
Abortion Support Network founder Mara Clarke: people requested information on abortion clinics, reputable online providers of medical abortion pills as well as funding to travel abroad
12 February 2021, 8:12am
by Laura Calleja
Over 200 people have contacted the Abortion Support Network (ASN) since the NGO expanded its services to Malta, ASN founder Mara Clarke revealed.
Since expanding its services to Malta back in February 2019, people had contacted the NGO for information about abortion clinics, reputable online providers of medical abortion pills, funding to help with the costs of abortion and travel, and logistical support.
Covid: Locked-down women turn to pills amid Malta abortion ban
By Sophia Smith-Galer
image captionDoctors for Choice - campaigning against Malta s strict ban on abortion
Catholic Malta has the strictest ban on abortion in the EU, but during the pandemic more Maltese women have been ordering abortion pills from abroad, unable to travel because of the lockdown.
Veronica - not her real name - was among them. It was a big burden for me. I already have two kids with learning difficulties. I came off the [contraceptive] pill, as the doctor suggested I switch to an IUD for health reasons. I was waiting for the appointment, but Covid came and cancelled all the hospital appointments.
Looking back at 2020 | Women take the lead in abortion debate
Despite 2020 being a trying year for all, woman have found their voices in the abortion debate, and the taboo subject can finally be debated on a national level
30 December 2020, 8:04am
by Laura Calleja
“I am writing my story with hope that this can help legalize abortion in Malta. I will never forget my abortion in 2012. As I type I’m crying. Not a lot of people understand, and its not something I’ve talked about with anyone. I hope my story helps. Women and girls in Malta need options and we need support.”