A 2025 with more research and resistance!

Dear friends, partners, funders and supporters, 
In a world where authoritarian forces are gaining ground, we strive to create a more just and compassionate society—one that improves the live women now and in the future and supports those facing unwanted pregnancies.

A Leader in Research

Development of a new on-demand contraceptive.

Women on Waves together with Leiden Medical University and Karolinska Institutet are developing 50 mg mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill, as a new weekly oral contraceptive. 

This method does not have the contraindications or side effects that are associated with the estrogens and progestins in hormonal contraceptives such as weight gain, loss of libido, feelings of depression, increased risk of breast cancer and thrombosis.

Animal studies have shown that mifepristone can be used to prevent the development some forms of breast cancer.

Mifepristone is also an effective morning after pill that can used up to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse. Combining a weekly contraceptive and morning after pill, makes on demand use of just one pill possible. 

The study already started in Modova last year and already included more than 550 participants.

The outcome so far is beyond expectations:

    • Of the 2000 cycles with unprotected intercourse, there was only 1 pregnancy (the participant was already pregnanct before she started), which already shows a very high efficacy (PI=0,6)
    • Only 7 women stopped preliminarily. (1,5%)
    • Only 4% of the participants reported minor side effects.
    • 89% of participants stopped menstruating as expected

In November we submitted the application for approval of the METC (Medical EThical Committee) to do the study in the Netherlands and we will probably start with enrollment in March 2025.

We are very grateful for the support of our funders and colleagues from LUMC, Karolinksa Institutet and the CRO and hospitals in Moldova for making this research possible.

Abortion in the Netherlands

Abortion clinic in Amsterdam

Women on Waves clinic in Amsterdam supports undocumented people for free as the Dutch government does not finance abortion services for this group, who are most in need. So far, in 2024 we provided 248 abortion services of whom 141 were undocumented people; i.e. people without civil registration number or people without insurance.

In total 48 people completed a follow-up form and all were very satisfied with the service.

"You are a god send. Thank you so much."

"I just want to express my gratitude for your service to women and professionalism. Thank you."

Training Family Doctors

Finally family doctors can provide the abortion pills in the Netherlands from January 1, 2025 onwards! So we hope there will be less need for our clinic. We have already trained 200 family doctor. Prior to the training only 18% wanted to provide the abortion pill and afterwards 45% .

Support of telemedical abortion service USA

Women on Waves supports the telemedical abortion service Aid Access. In 2024 Aid Access fascilated almost 120.000 abortion services in all US states, this is 40% more than in 2023.

Since June 2023, Aid Access partners with USA abortion providers to serve all USA states with FDA approved tele-medical abortions. These USA abortion providers are registered in states that have adopted laws to protect them against legal action from the states where abortion has been banned, the so-called shield law states.

Between 30 and 35% of the people could not pay $150 and received partial of fully donated services.

Supreme Court and Amicus Brief

In March, the Supreme Court  heard arguments of anti-abortion doctors from Texas who tried to restrict access to mifepristone. Women who has used the Aid Access's telemedical abortion service, filed An Amicus Brief, presenting women who used the highlights the indispensable role of telemedical abortion services was submitted for the supreme court.

On June 13, 2024, the US Supreme Court decided that mifepristone will remain available by mail. 

The court stated that the people who brought the case have no standing.

Abortion robot campaign

On March 26th, 2024, Women on Waves together with Aid Access and Abortion Access Front, proteseted in front of the Supremen court and launched the Abortion Roe-bots that dispensed abortion pills outside the Supreme Court in Washington.

Approximately 45 media articles covered the campaign.

Impact of the outcome of Elections of November 5, 2024

In the 25 hours after the outcome of the elections, showing that Trump had won, Aid Access received 10.000 request for abortion pills. This is 15 times more than the normal amount of requests.  

Scientific Publications

Women on Waves worked together with several universities in the USA.

  1. Abigail R A Aiken, Elisa S Wells, Rebecca Gomperts, James G Scott, Provision of Medications for Self-Managed Abortion Before and After the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization Decision, JAMA, 2024 May 14;331(18):1558-1564.doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.4266.
  2. Aiken ARA, Starling JE, van Blitterswijk DC, Looijen C, van Vliet T, Essink DR, Gomperts R., Advance Provision of Mifepristone and Misoprostol via Online Telemedicine in the US. JAMA Intern Med. 2024 Feb 1;184(2):220-223. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.7291.
  3. Johnson DM, Ramaswamy S, Gomperts R. Experiences with misoprostol-only used for self-managed abortion and acquired from an online or retail pharmacy in the United States. 2024 Mar;131:110345. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2023.110345.

Some thank you emails: 

 "I am so appreciative. I was not forced to continue a pregnancy. Me and my children could not handle. I am a single mom of three kids. Someone tried to get me pregnant and it worked. I cannot have four kids and do it all on my own with no help thank you so much for being affordable, thank you so much for saving my life"

"I came across a lot of illegitimate seeming websites. I'm so thankful for AidAccess as a legitimate abortion care resource. I wish more women knew about AidAccess. I will definitely donate in the future when I'm financially able to do so. I received prompt care and the information I got at every step was so comforting in such a stressful situation."

Visibility

Awards and recognition

FT readers’ women of 2024

The future: 2025

In 2025 we will start the study of mifepristone 50 mg as a weekly and on-demand contraceptive in the Netherlands. The outcome of this study will be used to apply for market authorisation for mifepristone 50 mg.

Additional funding is still needed and you can donate here to support our work to make mifepristone available as an over the counter on demand contraceptive!.