India

As a medical student, Suyash saw there was a gap in the medical curriculum with the over-medicalization of sexual and reproductive health and the information needed for abortion providers to offer realistic, compassionate care for their patients. Suyash then cofounded India Safe Abortion Youth Advocates, a network of medical students working to promote women’s right to safe abortion. Suyash is also involved with Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP) and is working to establish an increasingly broader and deeper network of gender-aware young doctors.

Fiscal Sponsor: YP Foundation (implemented with the support of the Asia Safe Abortion Partnership)

Project Title: The Abortion Curriculum

The goal of this project is to ensure a safe and non-judgmental experience for women seeking abortion services in public hospitals by sensitizing the next generation of doctors and medical students on safe abortion. Currently, abortion services are limited in public healthcare facilities, which are the main source of medical care for rural and poor women in India. This is due in part to a shortage of trained staff. This project will develop and test a safe abortion sensitization workshop and toolkit in medical universities around Mumbai. The curriculum will include training on medical and surgical abortion, as well as barriers to accessing abortion, appropriate language for discussing safe abortion, contraception, and values clarification.

Rise Up Cohort: Youth Champion 2019