Until now, they could only accompany patients in voluntary interruptions of pregnancy (IVG) with medication. But to improve women’s access to abortion, the Ministry of Health and Prevention has announced that it is launching a experimentation in 18 hospitals French : midwives will be able to carry out surgical (or instrumental) abortions up to 14 weeks of pregnancy.
According to ministrythis experiment “will further improve access to abortion by expanding the number of professionals likely to intervene”and this with all women, regardless of their place of residence and their personal situation.
This experiment aims to be widespread in the course of 2023“dall health establishments wishing to engage in this process, in application of the law of March 2, 2022 aimed at strengthening abortion“. This text notably allowed theextension of the legal deadline to have an abortion, thus going from 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy (i.e. 16 weeks since the last menstrual period).
New skills to enrich the missions of midwives
In order to be able to carry out these instrumental abortions, the ministry indicates that the midwives concerned by the experiment will have to justify:
- of a university qualification in orthogenics (a method of planning and regulating births) or a minimum of one year’s prior professional experience in the field of health, including at least six months in orthogenics, to which they must also add the follow-up of training two-day theoretical course on the surgical procedure of abortion and its possible complications;
- of a practical training constituted by the observation of at least thirty acts of abortion by instrumental way as well as the realization of at least 30 acts, in the presence of a trained doctor having more than two years of experience in the matter and having carried out more of 60 acts.
“This practical training gives rise to a certificate from the director of the headquarters establishment of its realization, established on validation of the medical manager concerned.completes the decree of the Ministry of Health.
Until then, only medical abortions were the domain of all midwives. Possible up to five weeks of pregnancy (seven weeks after the last period), this abortion can be performed at home and requires taking two medications between 36 and 48 hours apart.
Sources:
- Instrumental abortions: an experiment has been launched in health establishments for their performance by midwives, Ministry of Health and PreventionNovember 4, 2021
- Decree No. 2021-1934 of December 30, 2021 relating to experimentation relating to the exercise of voluntary instrumental pregnancy terminations in health establishments by midwives, Official Journal
