Engagement and involvement practices in abortion care: Collectively envisioning futures (Workshop report)

Abstract

On 11 July 2024, a workshop titled Engagement and Involvement Practices in Abortion Care: Collectively Envisioning Futures was held. This half-day event brought together people from across the abortion and wider sexual and reproductive health landscape, including those committed to improving abortion and contraceptive care and embedding community and patient involvement. The primary aim of the workshop was to explore how engagement practices can shape research, influence policy and enhance clinical practice. Facilitated by AndThen, a Glasgow-based design agency specialising in academic, third sector and public sector development, the workshop brought together over 25 participants with diverse backgrounds. These included people with lived experience of abortion, activists, advocacy groups, NHS staff (Lothian and Borders), BPAS (British Pregnancy Advisory Service), The Young Women’s Movement, Back Off Scotland and representatives from the Scottish Government. Participants also included academics from higher education institutions such as the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lancaster, UCL (University College London), LSHTM (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), and The Open University. Interactive activities during the workshop were designed to build connections and explore innovative approaches to involvement and engagement in abortion care research, practice and policy. This workshop report outlines the activities undertaken during the event and presents a "knowledge artefact" developed through the ideas generated. Participants collaborated to create maps of the abortion landscape, describing key stakeholders and their relationships to one another. Each group produced a unique map and this report includes a synthesis of all the maps created, offering a comprehensive overview of key insights and connections formed during the workshop.