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PLRG research presented at ‘After the Review: What Next for Irish Abortion Services?’ conference at TCD
Members of the Pregnancy Loss Research Group shared research on various aspects of termination of pregnancy at a one-day conference hosted by the ReproCit Project titled ‘After the Review: What Next for Irish Abortion Services?’. Research presented included healthcare professionals’ knowledge and clinical practice, fetal anomaly diagnosis and termination of pregnancy, women and men’s experiences of pregnancy with fetal anomaly, and a review of the first three years of inpatient service.
_abortion_conference_keelin_o_donoghue.jpg "Close up of a woman speaking behind a podium")
Professor Keelin O’Donoghue presenting at ‘After the Review: What Next for Irish Abortion Services?’. Photo: Dr Emma Campbell
Dr Sara Leitao presenting a systematic review of healthcare professionals and students’ knowledge on termination of pregnancy legislation and clinical practice
| Paper title |
Authors |
Project |
| Dr Sara Leitao, Dr Eimear O’Shaughnessy, Dr Indra San Lazaro Campillo, Prof Keelin O’Donoghue |
||
| Fatal fetal anomaly: exploring experiences of women and their partners |
Dr Peter Jackson, Dr Rebecca Dennehy, Dr Stacey Power-Walsh, Prof Keelin O’Donoghue |
|
| Fetal anomaly diagnosis and termination of pregnancy in Ireland since 2019
|
Dr Hadas Miremberg, Dr Oladayo Oduola, Prof John Morrison, Prof Keelin O’Donoghue |
N/A |
| Termination of Early Pregnancy in Ireland: review of the first three years of inpatient service at a tertiary maternity unit |
Dr Katie Togher, Dr Sara Leitao, Prof Keelin O’Donoghue, Dr Deirdre Hayes-Ryan |
The conference, hosted at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) on 27 October, brought together researchers and stakeholders involved in studying the first five years of Irish abortion regulation and provision. It provided a timely opportunity to discuss on experiences, evidence, and future directions from a variety of perspectives. Delegates heard about latest research and developments in a series of six panels: Critical Perspective on Irish Law Regulating Abortion; Providers; Abortion Care Under Section 11; Abortion Care Under Section 12; Intersectional Perspectives on Abortion Regulation and Provision in Ireland; Conceptualising Reproductive Rights and Regulation. The day ended with a plenary session reflecting on the Review of Health (Regulation of Termination) Act 2018.
Dr Peter Jackson as he presents a study he led on the experiences of women and their partners who received a fetal anomaly diagnosis
Led by the Principal Investigators of the service user and health provider strands of the Review of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, Dr Catherine Conlon (Trinity College Dublin) and Dr Deirdre Duffy (Lancaster University), the conference coincided with post-Review discussions on effectively utilising the evidence and recommendations provided in the Independent Review of abortion services introduced under the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, published in April 2023.
Dr Katie Togher presenting a review of the first three years of a termination of early pregnancy service at a tertiary maternity unit
As evidenced throughout the conference, there is much available and relevant research within the Irish context to inform policy and practice, and dedicated providers, activists, and academics/researchers, from a range of disciplines, committed to enhancing abortion provision and care experiences in Ireland.
Many thanks to the conference organisers: Dr Catherine Conlon (TCD), Dr Kate Antosik-Parsons (TCD), and Dr Deirdre Duffy (Lancaster University).