Abortion Pills Go Global

A bold, unique look into the global self-managed abortion movement

Abortion pills have made safe abortion possible for millions of people around the world, even in the most restrictive circumstances. Sydney Calkin illustrates the profound, transformative promise of these pills—which are safe, effective, and responsible for a sharp decline in maternal mortality. This timely book demonstrates that the widespread practice of self-managed medication abortion makes it more difficult for countries to enforce oppressive abortion laws and less willing to do so.

Following these pills as they are manufactured and transported by feminist activists in nations from India to Ireland, Northern Ireland, Poland, and the United States, Calkin shows that their growing availability in places with restrictive laws means more people have access to self-managed healthcare. Abortion Pills Go Global looks ahead to see how the broader politics of abortion could shift in response to this global movement—one that looks not to laws for protection but to on-the-ground feminist mobilizations across borders.