Guttmacher Institute
BMJ 2012; 344 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e623 (Published 25 January 2012) Cite this as: BMJ 2012;344:e623
- Hannah Bass, MA student in journalism, City University, London
- mhd.bass{at}gmail.com
What does it do?
Named after the pro-choice obstetrician and gynaecologist Alan Guttmacher (1898-1974), the institute is on a “mission” to advance sexual health and reproductive rights. With offices in New York and Washington, DC, the institute is concerned with global health but prioritises issues in the United States in the belief that US policy can have an effect worldwide.
Its work encompasses everything from access to contraception to sex education for teenagers. Top of the agenda is safe, legal, and accessible abortion, which is far from a global right and is under increasing threat in the United States.
The institute does some public awareness work: in 2011 it used a YouTube video to dispel common myths and misconceptions about abortion in the US (http://bit.ly/wzpzaP). However, its strength …