Our people
Meet our community of abortion activists and professionals, researchers, providers, advocates, and community organisers who are working hard to help us tackle abortion stigma.

Carrie Purcell

Research Fellow, University of Glasgow
Carrie is a Research Fellow at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Most recently, Carrie led the Sexuality and Abortion Stigma Study, a Wellcome Trust-funded secondary analysis project looking at abortion across the UK’s different jurisdictions.
Carrie is a medical sociologist specialising in qualitative research, mixed-method process evaluation and implementation research. She has worked on a range of abortion-related projects over the last decade, including experiences of later (16+ weeks) abortion, more than one abortion, early medical abortion, and abortion during the Covid-19 pandemic. Carrie is a frequent contributor to policy and public debate around abortion in Scotland. Her work has been published in a range of journals including Sociology of Health & Illness, Feminism & Psychology, and BMJ SRH, and she is a member of the editorial board of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Christina Boateng

Assistant Coordinator, International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
Currently a Masters student in Human Rights, Christina has been directly involved in abortion rights since 2017. Her work has involved supporting the coordination of International Safe Abortion Day and participating in international meetings with other abortion-rights activists. She also has experience working with migrants and refugees in the UK.

Fiona Bloomer

Academic, Ulster University
Fiona Bloomer is Senior Lecturer in Social Policy, in the School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences at Ulster University. She has written extensively on abortion policy, has published in international journals and is co-author of the book Reimagining Global Abortion Politics.

Isadora Sinha

PhD Researcher, Cardiff University
Isadora is currently a PhD researcher at Cardiff University studying medicine. She is best known in the Cardiff student community for getting their students’ union to officially adopt a pro-choice stance in 2019, founding the CU Pro-Choice Society the same year. During 2019/20 she was also the Wellbeing Officer for CU Feminist Society; this year she was elected as Cardiff University’s Students’ Union’s Black and Minority Ethnic Officer and re-elected as President of the Pro-Choice Society. Isadora is on Abortion Rights UK’s Executive Committee, designing their social media infographics about telemedical abortion services and is student liaison for Abortion Rights Cardiff.

Joe Strong

Researcher and PhD Candidate, LSE
Joe's current research focuses on the relationship between men, masculinities, and sexual and reproductive health in Ghana, with a specific focus on abortion-related care. More broadly, he explores the roles of structural inequalities on access to abortion care and has worked on numerous abortion-related projects, including with the WHO, Ipas, and the Guttmacher Institute.
He co-convenes the Abortion Book Club with Dr Rishita Nandagiri – open to all!

Lisa Hallgarten

Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Brook
Lisa Hallgarten is Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Brook. She advocates for young people’s rights to accessible sexual and reproductive health services; and champions inclusive, sex-positive Relationships and Sex Education.

Mara Clarke

Founder, Abortion Support Network (ASN)
ASN founder and Abortion Without Borders/Aborcja Bez Granic member Mara Clarke has a varied background with experience ranging from public relations to tech startups to abortion activism and waiting tables. She was an ASN volunteer for several years before having the honour of being ASN’s first paid staff person. Until the amazing groups campaigning for abortion law reform make ASN obsolete, she’ll continue to work towards a world where “I can’t afford to have an abortion” isn’t the only reason someone becomes a parent.

Patricia A. Lohr

Medical Director and Director Centre for Reproductive Research & Communication, BPAS
Patricia is an obstetrician and gynaecologist who has devoted her career to ensuring that people can access evidence-based abortion care. This has included service design, direct abortion care, research, and contributions to textbooks and national and international clinical practice guidelines. She is passionate about abortion education and advises the RCOG on curricula, as well as developing and delivering training. She is a co-founder and Council member of British Society of Abortion Care Providers, and an advisory board member for the RCOG’s Making Abortion Safe programme.

Pollyanna Cohen

Doctor
Pollyanna is a junior doctor currently taking a year out of working clinically to complete an MSc in Science Communication. She works one day a week with the RCOG Making Abortion Safe team on their e-learning and also works occasional shifts in the emergency department at UCLH. From August, she'll be in a full-time training post in Academic Community Sexual and Reproductive Health based in London.

Rachel Mantock

Journalist & Digital Advocacy Content Manager
Rachel is a journalist whose work focuses on reproductive and women’s health, lifestyle and culture. She has a particular interest in creating content that advocates for further research and access to care for reproductive health issues disproportionately experienced by Black women, the abolition of stigma around sexuality, safe abortion, and safe SRHR spaces for LGBTQ groups and teens.

Sam Rowlands

Visiting Professor, Bournemouth University LLM MD FRCGP FFSRH
Sam is a Visiting Professor at the Department of Medical Sciences & Public Health, Bournemouth University. He is currently Secretary of the British Society of Abortion Care Providers. In the past, he has held office at the Faculty of Sexual & Reproductive Health and FIAPAC. Sam has been an expert witness to the civil courts in several jurisdictions for over 25 years. He has published widely on emergency contraception, LARC, abortion, sterilisation and medicolegal, human rights and ethical issues relating to sexual and reproductive health. He is the editor of ‘Abortion Care’ published in 2014

Upeka De Silva

Policy Officer, Compassion in Dying
Upeka has a passion for protecting individual autonomy and choice. She has thirteen years of experience in international sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes - from youth-friendly services to safe abortion and fistula care. Upeka has a special interest in projects that seek to address sensitive issues, challenge misconceptions and promote new thinking in relation to advancing reproductive choice. In keeping with her passion for promoting person-centred care, Upeka now works on supporting individuals to make informed choices about treatment and care at the end of life.

Yvonne Neubauer

Associate Clinical Director, MSI Reproductive Choices UK
Abortion Care is Health Care! Yvonne is a Sexual and Reproductive Health Doctor who is passionate about delivering a high standard of evidence-based abortion care. She believes in a person's right to choose and supports individuals to make the best decision for themselves regarding their pregnancy options. She is keen on promoting discussions about abortion, in order to tackle stigma and address misinformation.