Ibis Reproductive Health and the International Planned Parenthood Federation will develop a Charter of Rights for quality abortion care in clinic settings in India to equip clients with knowledge of their right to receive high-quality care and the agency to demand it.
People seeking abortion care deserve high-quality services in which they are treated with respect and dignity. There is a growing body of evidence that stigma and social norms play a role in clients’ perceptions of abortion, their care-seeking decisions, and their beliefs about how they will be treated when they obtain services—especially those who are young, unmarried, or new clients. As a result, many clients come to abortion clinics and providers with low expectations about the care they will receive. Ibis Reproductive Health, in collaboration with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), and Family Planning Association of India (FPAI), will create a Charter of Rights for Quality Abortion Care — a short and easy-to-understand tool that demonstrates the principles of high-quality care that clients deserve and should receive. The tool will be informed by existing literature on client preferences for quality abortion services and input from young people, peer educators, and volunteers in the communities where it will be piloted. Ibis and IPPF will explore how this tool will play a role in changing client expectations and understanding of the principles of quality care, feelings of agency, and the abortion care experience among people seeking abortion services at FPAI facilities in India. This 18-month project will launch in 2019.
Quality in reproductive and sexual health services means people who have never obtained abortion services trust they will be treated with dignity and respect and will not delay obtaining services for fear of stigma from providers.
