title: Updated WHO guidance on safe abortion: health and human rights.
abstract: Since its first publication in 2003, the World Health Organization's "Safe abortion: technical and policy guidance for health systems" has had an influence on abortion policy, law, and practice worldwide. To reflect significant developments in the clinical, service delivery, and human rights aspects of abortion care, the Guidance was updated in 2012. This article reviews select recommendations of the updated Guidance, highlighting 3 key themes that run throughout its chapters: evidence-based practice and assessment, human rights standards, and a pragmatic orientation to safe and accessible abortion care. These themes not only connect the chapters into a coherent whole. They reflect the research and advocacy efforts of a growing field in women's health and human rights.
authors.affiliation: Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. joanna.erdman@dal.ca
authors.forename: Joanna N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Erdman
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: DePiñeres
authors.forename: Eszter
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kismödi
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005260:Female; D006285:Health Planning; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014944:World Health Organization