MWF part of the Hatfield vision task force - to improve women’s reproductive health
In July 2022, MWF was one of 28 organisations that endorsed the ‘Hatfield vision’, written by the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health. We are now part of a task force to ensure there is action on the 16 recommendations. Women and girls have unique needs across their lifecourse, and poor reproductive health outcomes develop over time and across generations.
The recommendations are clear. We demand improved access to contraception especially for those in deprived groups - one goal is to reduce the percentage of pregnancies that are unplanned or unintended to less than 30% of all pregnancies (from 45% now). Improvements are also demanded in access to menstrual health support, preconception care, menopause care, cervical screening, abortion care and access to information. Maternal health outcomes in black women and women of colour are significantly worse than in other women, and the Hatfield vision highlights the need to improve this and to improve sex and relationship education in schools. The Hatfield vision is at: https://www.fsrh.org/news/press-release-fsrh-hatfield-vision-2022/ The new task force works across multiple groups to demand action.
Professor Scarlett McNally, MWF President who represents MWF on this group said: ‘it is shocking that so many women’s lives are adversely impacted by lack of access to good care. Some concepts are simple. It works well to bring everyone together to work out how things could be improved.”
