London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

​​The NIHR-funded Shaping Abortion for Change (SACHA) study, the largest to be conducted on abortion in Britain, aimed to create an evidence base to inform current and future abortion provision. Join us for the Symposium marking the end of SACHA, where key findings will be shared.  

​The Symposium will consist of a presentation of the study findings at 18.00 in the John Snow lecture theatre followed by a Q&A, after which attendees will be invited for an reception from 19.00 in the South Courtyard.

This event is aimed at researchers from the fields of public health, sexual and reproductive health, and health systems; journalists; healthcare practitioners; abortion providers; advocates and activists; lawyers; parliamentarians; commissioners; officials; representatives of the charitable sectors; students and anyone interested in the landscape of abortion care in Britain.  

Speakers

​​Professor Kaye Wellings, LSHTM

Prof Kaye Wellings is a social scientist and known, nationally and internationally, for her research into sexual and reproductive health. She is Professor of Sexual and Reproductive Health at LSHTM and was founding head of the Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health Research from 1995 to 2017. Kaye founded the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles with Natcen in 1987 and co-led the study until 2015.  Kaye is an elected Fellow of the UK Faculty of Public Health, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and of the Academy of Social Sciences. She sits on a number of advisory committees in Europe and North America, works closely with the WHO, and is a trustee of the Population Council. Co-leading Work Package 4.

​Dr Rebecca French, LSHTM 

Dr Rebecca French Associate Professor, LSHTM. Public Health specialist brings experience of public health and policy-related research and evaluation including research in sexual and reproductive health service delivery and use of new technologies. Chair of the RCOG Clinical Studies Group on Sexual & Reproductive Health. Responsible jointly, with Prof Kaye Wellings, for overall management and strategic direction of the study. Co-leading Work Package 3.

​Dr Melissa Palmer, LSHTM 

Dr Melissa Palmer, Assistant Professor at LSHTM. Brings experience of both quantitative and qualitative research, including evaluation of E-Health interventions, analysis of routine data and large-scale survey data. Will contribute across the study to fieldwork, data analysis and reporting. Co-leading Work Package 2.

​Dr Rachel Scott, LSHTM 

Dr Rachel Scott Assistant Professor at LSHTM. Brings qualitative and quantitative expertise and experience, including comparative research on abortion (Britain vs France; US vs Britain); representations of abortion (West Africa) and an intervention trial of the effect of post-abortion contraceptive counselling. Will contribute across the study to fieldwork, data analysis and reporting. Co-leading Work Package 2.

​Maria Lewandowska, LSHTM 

Maria Lewandowska is a Research Fellow in the Department of Public Health, Environments and Society at LSHTM. She completed her MSc in Reproductive and Sexual Health Research at the School and wrote her thesis looking at the impact of the approval of home administration of misoprostol in medical abortions in England, using quantitative methods. Involved in the quantitative and qualitative components of the study.

​Rebecca Meiksin, LSHTM  

Rebecca Meiksin Research Fellow in Social Science at LSHTM. Experience of qualitative and quantitative research as well as practice experience in supporting women seeking abortion. Brings experience of conducting qualitative and quantitative systematic reviews and of realist methods. Contributes to study fieldwork, data analysis and reporting.