Buzz
In today's digital age, finding trustworthy health information online can be overwhelming. This is especially true when it comes to abortion, as anti-abortion groups often spread falsehoods that mislead people seeking accurate information about their pregnancy and options.
To address this need, Hesperian Health Guides has launched a dedicated app providing essential abortion information. Named 'Safe Abortion (SA)', it's available for free on iOS and Android, with Hesperian Health Guides listed as the developer. (This is noteworthy in case similar apps emerge.)
The app is accessible on your home screen under the title 'SA,' featuring a pink icon with two women silhouettes. Once downloaded, the app works offline and doesn't track user activity. According to developers, as mentioned by Yes magazine, its primary goal is to offer abortion information to people in areas where access to abortion care is difficult. This includes countries where abortion is illegal or regions like the US where it can be hard to obtain.
When you launch the app, the first feature you’ll encounter is a tool that helps estimate how far along you are in your pregnancy. By entering the start date of your last period, the app calculates the number of weeks pregnant you are and provides you with safe options at that stage. For instance, if I enter a date from seven weeks ago, the app suggests abortion with pills (‘this is your best option’) and suction abortion. If you're more than 20 weeks along, the app advises you to consult a healthcare professional immediately for guidance on safe abortion options.
Even without using the estimator, you can explore information on three types of abortion (medication, suction, and dilation & evacuation) and compare them based on factors like pain, cost, and success rates.
The app doesn’t go as far as recommending specific providers or how to access medication; you’re responsible for finding care yourself. However, if you're looking for a trustworthy source of information, this app provides the essentials.
