Why is RSA needed?
Because.. there are women who need services that fall under legal abortion but have difficulty accessing services and face high costs, leading them to unsafe abortions, resulting in injuries, complications, and death. Unplanned pregnancies lead to low-quality births, low birth weight, abandonment, orphanhood, malnutrition, lack of care, and growing up without family support. These issues affect the quality of life of the future Thai population.
Who is RSA?
It is.. a network of doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, public health professionals, pharmacists, teachers, and other multidisciplinary professionals from both the public and private sectors. They volunteer to provide counseling, referrals, or safe abortion services according to the guidelines of the Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, using medication or vacuum aspiration, with indications consistent with the law and medical council regulations, for women with unplanned pregnancies who have physical and mental health issues.
What are the indications for abortion that comply with the law and medical council regulations?
The pregnancy adversely affects the woman’s physical and mental health, the fetus has disabilities, the pregnancy results from sexual offenses such as rape, coercion, threats, and the woman is under 15 years old.
RSA Volunteer Network is supported by the Bureau of Reproductive Health, Department of Health, and other departments within the Ministry of Public Health. It is reinforced by the National Health Security Office (NHSO) and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), as well as network partners from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Medical Council, Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Royal College of Pediatricians of Thailand, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, and other medical schools. The social assistance hotline 1300, mental health hotline 1323, as well as the Royal Thai Police and the Office of the Attorney General, work closely with the RSA volunteer network, which collaborates closely with networks supporting options for women with unplanned pregnancies.
How does R-SA work?
1. Receive referrals for safe abortion (Safe Abortion)
2. Provide safe abortion services using medication and surgical methods, with comprehensive counseling and options for those facing unplanned pregnancies, under health indications consistent with the law and medical council regulations.
3. Develop service systems and referral systems that meet academic standards to address public health issues and reduce maternal (MMR) and neonatal (NMR) mortality rates in Thailand.
4. Support and promote collaboration with organizations and agencies to reduce illegal and unsafe abortions and connect networks working on preventing unplanned pregnancies.
Source: Project for Developing Friendly Alternative Services Network for Adolescents and Women with Unplanned Pregnancies
Produced in March 2019
More details: Abortion with medication in the health service system
http://rh.anamai.moph.go.th/main.php?filename=safe_abortion