Women's Views on News |
| New abortion aftercare helpline opens Posted: 01 Sep 2016 03:40 PM PDT
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (bpas) has launched a free telephone aftercare helpline for women in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man who have bought abortion medication online. Access to abortion services in these areas is currently highly restricted, meaning women who cannot travel outside Ireland or off the Isle of Man for abortion treatment have no choice but to break the law and order pills over the internet. This new confidential nurse-led telephone service will offer advice to women who have obtained pills from the online not-for-profit clinics run by Women Help Women (WHW) and Women on Web (WOW) and who are concerned about any symptoms or simply want to speak to someone. bpas knows these organisations provide the same high quality, safe medications to women who are up to 10 weeks pregnant that are provided from bpas clinics. While adverse events are extremely unlikely, bpas is concerned that because women and girls taking such medication are committing an illegal act, they may not always seek help when they need it. Early medical abortion involves taking 2 sets of medications, mifepristone – which detaches the pregnancy from the lining of the womb – and then misoprostol – which causes the womb to contract and expel the pregnancy. Women who receive treatment at bpas go home to pass the pregnancy, and are able to call the helpline 24 hours a day, every day of the year, if they have questions or concerns. This service is now being extended to include women who have taken pills supplied by WHW and WOW in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man. Women in these areas are increasingly using this option, as the logistics and costs of travel, treatment and accommodation can be prohibitive, and online pills provided by WHW and WOW are a safe, effective alternative for women unable to continue their pregnancies. WHW and WOW already provide women with comprehensive information about what to expect, and when to seek help. The bpas aftercare telephone line provides another option for those women who wish to speak to someone, or who need immediate help. Women will be able to seek reassurance on the telephone about levels of bleeding, what to do if it appears nothing has happened, and when care should be accessed urgently. Should bpas helpline staff believe emergency help is required, they will also call an ambulance. These aftercare helpline numbers are: From Ireland: 1800 910 049 From Northern Ireland: 0800 077 6049 From the Isle of Man: 0800 077 6049 Women who have purchased online medication from services other than WHW and WOW will be advised to seek medical help immediately. Kinga Jelinska, executive director of Women Help Women, said: “Women Help Women welcomes the launch of the bpas abortion aftercare hotline. "While abortion with pills is safe and effective, and most women are very satisfied with an online service, it will be very helpful to have direct support for women who may want clinical reassurance in the case of a possible complication.” Ann Furedi, chief executive of bpas, said: “What these women really need are accessible, high quality abortion services at home. "They shouldn’t have to make the choice between travelling to England and breaking the law by purchasing pills online. "While we wait for politicians to do the right thing, bpas will provide telephone aftercare to women who have bought pills online from these two women’s organisations and who want to speak to someone in confidence about what they are experiencing, or who simply need a reassuring voice at the end of the line," she continued. "We will be here for these women 24 hours a day until they no longer need us.”  |
| There is no such place as Away Posted: 01 Sep 2016 11:40 AM PDT
‘Away’ isn’t some magical place. It’s landfill, an incinerator, the bottom of the ocean, litter or the stomach of an animal. It’s always somewhere else… Be part of the solution and join millions of people around the world for one week – next week – by reducing waste through reuse, recycling and repurposing material for a longer life. Zero Waste Week is a grassroots campaign raising awareness of the environmental impact of waste and encouraging participants to reduce waste. Launched in 2008, the campaign is conducted almost exclusively online via this website, e-newsletters and social media. Rachelle Strauss has promoted the zero waste message with passion and enthusiasm for over ten years. Watch her talk about it here. She has come up with practical ways in which individuals and businesses can live and work more sustainably. And she has a really engaging way of teaching about waste and what to do with all the elements that just don't fit in with the recycling box rules. Zero Waste Week, an online campaign encouraging you to send less to landfill, formally runs for one week in September, but if you sign up for more, you get regular newsletters and fresh blog content throughout the year. A friendly online community shares practical experiences and suggestions about waste avoidance via social media to keep the discussion and learning process going. Zero Waste Week always takes place the week beginning the first Monday in September. In 2016 that's from 5-9 September. The theme for 2016 is “Use it up!” – tackling food waste. According to research, the average householder wastes £50 of food per month, and now it's time to stop! Do I have to be Zero Waste? Zero Waste is just the catchy title to use. It’s an ideal, but is it realistic? You decide! But please join in – if everyone recycled just one more thing, the collective impact would be huge! Your effort counts. Things to do: Take a food audit: Knowledge is power, so if you’re somebody who thinks they don’t create any food waste, I challenge you to take a food waste audit! You can find three ways of doing a food waste audit here. Once you know what you’re dealing with you can take action by finding some new recipes, discovering ways to preserve these foods or perhaps it’s time to stop buying them altogether. Say no to BOGOF: Make a pledge to resist Buy One Get One Free offers. You know as well as we do that if they’re fresh items, they often end up in the bin. If you can’t say no to a bargain, you could go halves with a friend or freeze items to use at a later date. Cook the right amount: Food waste is often caused by cooking too much in the first place. Many people guess the amount of rice or pasta to cook, or just don’t know how much a portion really is. Why not pledge to wise up on portion control from now on? This handy portion calculator will help. Menu plan: It works for some people, not for others. You could use Zero Waste Week as a test run. Write down all your commitments for the week and plan your meals accordingly. There are numerous sites, including most supermarket sites that show you how to meal plan and will even build you the right shopping list. The idea with menu planning is that nothing gets wasted because you plan in advance when you will eat it. Reuse your eggshells: For all you smug people thinking you reuse everything in the kitchen already this one should get you thinking! Eggshells are full of calcium and it's straightforward to make your own calcium supplement. Wash egg shells thoroughly, then dry in the oven. When they are dry, crush with a mortar and pestle or food blender into a powder and voila – you can sprinkle this nutrient into smoothies or stir into porridge. Reuse your peel: Citrus peels can be reused in a number of ways. They can be used in pot pourri, dried and used to light a fire or used to clean the dishes. From body scrubs to wood polish to slug repellents you’ll find lots of ideas if you browse Google. Doing all you can? Then inspire others. Share your favourite Zero Waste Recipe. Either submit it for inclusion on the blog or share it with the Facebook Group. How to take part: sign up here and you’ll get quarterly newsletters throughout the year and one email per day during Zero Waste Week. And get inspiration on Pinterest. Comments from people who have already joined in for a Week: “If you stop to think too much about the environment it’s overwhelming, but Zero Waste Week makes you feel you can do something.” “Zero Waste Week makes you feel a part of something bigger, and oh God, maybe there is hope.”  |
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