The role of abortion doulas in mitigating barriers to abortion care

Abortion doulas provide practical, and emotional support to those seeking abortion services, typically complimenting the work of abortion providers in settings where abortion access is established. However, gaps in knowledge exist about the role of abortion doulas outside of the USA, outside of clinical settings, and in settings where they operate outside of the legislative framework.

This study will examine how abortion doulas support women and pregnant people to navigate access to abortion services in settings where access to abortion care has been restricted. Two settings exemplify this - Northern Ireland and Kenya. This study is timely given the 2019 decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland; and the 2019 Kenya High Court decision on the constitutional right to access to abortion.