The joint statement of support for the inclusion of contraception and abortion in sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing education for all medical students is the culmination of a collaborative effort between the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (

Honduras is one of the few countries in the world that still has a total ban on abortion. This ban has been further intensified by the introduction of a constitutional reform that seeks to prevent any type of decriminalisation in the future. 

Currently, women and girls in Honduras live under a serious threat. If they decide to have an abortion, they must do so clandestinely and often unsafely – even if they have been raped or motherhood poses a risk to their life – and they risk going to jail for up to 10 years. 

Speaking on the landmark ruling, FIGO President, Dr Jeanne Conry, stated:

This ruling undermines our commitment to advancing the rights of women and girls around the world, and is a threat to gender equality and the bodily autonomy of millions. The United States now is out of step with the rest of the world, and fails to take into account the overwhelming global medical evidence that supports abortion as essential health care.

On 5 April 2022, FIGO joined the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), IPAS Partners for Reproductive Justice (IPAS), and MSI Reproductive Choices (MSI) in the launch of a joint initiative “Defending the Frontline Defenders of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights”. 

The landmark 1973 Roe vs Wade ruling has since allowed women in the USA to seek an abortion without excessive government restrictions. Recent news indicates that SCOTUS is likely to overturn the ruling. The final decision on this ruling is due in June 2022.

If made official, such a decision would have a catastrophic impact on a national and global scale, threatening the lives of women and girls every year. 

From 9–11 March 2022, in Cotonou, Benin, FIGO’s Advocating for Safe Abortion Project worked with the National College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Benin (CNGOB) to organise a capacity building workshop for their counterparts visiting from Mali alongside the Youth Health Workers for Safe Abortion (YHW4SA) – a Beninese network of young pro-choice health professionals set-up in 2021 by CNGOB.   

FIGO has written a letter to the Polish Public Prosecutor General, Mr Zbigniew Tadeusz Ziobro, to share our evidence-based recommendations in relation to charges brought against Justyna Wydrzyńska, a Polish community care provider and human rights activist. 

FIGO welcomes, endorses and commits action to implement the new World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on abortion that were released today.

Adolescents often face a range of barriers when accessing abortion services and contraceptives. These barriers prevent them from making decisions about their reproductive lives and fulfilling their human right to bodily autonomy and access to health care. 

For International Safe Abortion Day (ISAD), marked on 28 September, the 10 national member societies FIGO supports through its Advocating for Safe Abortion Project developed educational activities and awareness-raising campaigns in their countries and communities.