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Finding a facility that offers safe and legal abortion has become an easy task for girls and women living in Gauteng, thanks to a new tool that locates a clinic closer to you.
The tool, Fem, developed by safe2choose – a social enterprise that is a part of an international movement for reproductive justice and access to safe abortion – works through a short message system. The user sends the word FEM to short code 30816 via SMS.
After answering a few questions on the platform, they will receive a referral SMS to a facility that provides safe and legal abortions close to them. It locates both private and public facilities.
Phephisile Mathizerd, Fem’s associate programme officer explained that once the user has sent a message, they will receive an introductory message requesting permission for the system to map the user’s geographic location.
This allows for the provision of specific information about service providers in the user’s immediate area. Users who are not willing to provide location consent are directed to manual look-up option which allows them to manually select their location and receive a referral.
Mathizerd believed this tool had the potential to save many lives. Research showed that 30% of South African women were not aware that abortion was legal and an estimated 50% of abortions in the country were performed in illegal and unsafe environments.
“We’re hoping this initiative closes the gap by providing vital information to South Africans most in need,” she said.
“When you think abortion is illegal, you are very likely to be trapped in a state of confusion. This confusion creates a sense of isolation that often stops women from testing to see whether they are pregnant at the vital early stage,” she added.
“At Fem, we want to end the confusion by giving people immediate access to key facts and relevant resources. The message is simple, if you need assistance or information about abortion send an SMS,” Mathizerd said.
» The FEM tool is being piloted in Gauteng but will later be rolled out across the country.
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