Call for Papers: The right to universal access to safe abortion services

In December 2024, SRHM curated a special collection of articles previously published in the SRHM journal entitled 'The continuing fight for abortion rights: taking stock of the evidence', which highlighted the ongoing global struggles for abortion rights.

In 2025, there is renewed political urgency for advancing abortion research, and SRHM remains committed to strengthening the evidence base around abortion rights to drive policies, laws, regulations and service provision worldwide.

In taking stock of the evidence that it has published over the past 30 years, SRHM recognises the need for empirical interdisciplinary research: for example, integrating legal analysis, public health research and activist-led documentation to strengthen evidence-based advocacy.

In consultation with partners in research, advocacy and policymaking from across the globe, we have identified priority topics reflecting strategic knowledge gaps and regional priorities.

SRHM would welcome submissions to its Open Issue on any of the following topics as they relate to abortion:

Humanitarian Settings – Access to safe abortion in conflict zones, refugee camps and disaster-affected areas, including a focus on the role of telemedicine in bridging service gaps.

Misinformation, Disinformation & Digital Censorship – The impact of social media, misinformation and digital restrictions on abortion access, and strategies for countering anti-rights narratives.

Marginalised Populations & Equity – Addressing barriers to abortion for adolescents, people with disabilities, trans and non-binary individuals, migrants, sex workers and other underserved groups.

Legal & Policy Implementation – Evaluating how legal changes, including judicial precedents, translate into real-world abortion service provision, including cross-sector collaboration between legal scholars, public health researchers and activists.

Global Policy & Funding Challenges – Assessing the impact of declining foreign aid, the Global Gag Rule and international policy shifts on abortion rights and reproductive healthcare systems.

Data, Measurement & Methodological Innovation – Advancing reliable data to strengthen service delivery and advocacy efforts, innovations in the study of abortion criminalisation, including international comparative legal analysis, and novel monitoring methods such as real-time tracking of policy changes and participatory approaches.

Accepted manuscripts will be published on a rolling basis in SRHM's Open Issue. They will subsequently be collated as part of a new special collection of articles. The new collection will form the basis of other SRHM communications and events as part of the organisation's commitment to link knowledge to action.

The deadline for submissions to be considered for the special collection is 31 August 2025.

Waiver requests should be made by 30th June 2025.

Read the full call for papers at the link below for information about the submission process, Article Processing Charges (APCs) and waivers.

READ THE FULL CALL FOR PAPERS