Harm Reduction of Unsafe Abortion in Latin America

Unsafe abortion is one of the major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in the developing world. Most unsafe abortions occur where abortion is legally restricted. Like many Latin American countries, Argentina prohibits abortion in most circumstances, and maternal mortality from unsafe abortion is high. While spending three months in Buenos Aires, I met an organization called Socorristas en Red (Network of Helpers). This is an organization that provides women seeking illegal abortions with information about safely using misoprostol to induce medical abortions. In my presentation I will discuss how Socorristas en Red has decreased the harm of unsafe abortion in Argentina by providing women seeking illegal abortions with information on misoprostol as a safer alternative.