This month, School of Sexuality Education launched our guide to teaching about Abortion Care, produced in collaboration with MSI Reproductive Choices UK.
We created this guide to support schools, teachers, caregivers and universities to talk about abortion in a way that is factual, inclusive and grounded in healthcare and rights. We know that abortion can feel like a complicated subject to approach in educational settings, and that young people are increasingly encountering information about abortion online, much of which can be inaccurate, misleading or aims to undermine human rights and access to healthcare.
Following the updated 2025 RSHE guidance, we wanted to create a practical resource that helps educators feel more confident having these conversations, while giving them the tools to support young people to understand abortion care, how to access support and make sense of the information they encounter.
Talking about abortion as healthcare and a rights issue
Image by Deeanna J
Abortion is healthcare, and young people deserve access to accurate, age-appropriate information about their reproductive and sexual health.
Our guide encourages educators to approach abortion from a rights-based and healthcare perspective, rather than treating it as a taboo or moral issue. It provides factual information about what abortion is, how abortion care can be accessed, the law in the UK and what support is available.
The guide also recognises that people can have a wide range of personal, cultural and religious beliefs about abortion. A rights-based approach means creating space for discussion while ensuring that young people have access to accurate information and understand their rights and options.
Navigating misinformation online
In recent years, we have seen a sharp rise in misinformation online about abortions and abortion care. This can make it difficult for young people, and the adults supporting them, to know what information they can trust.
Image by Deeanna J
The guide is designed to help educators navigate these conversations and support young people to think critically about the information they encounter online. By providing clear, evidence-based information about abortion care, we hope to make it easier for schools and caregivers to challenge misinformation and direct young people towards reliable sources of support.
What's in the guide?
A guide to teaching about Abortion Care includes practical information and activity ideas for educators, covering:
Inclusive approaches and language for talking about abortion
How to teach about abortion from a position of rights and healthcare
What an abortion is
The law surrounding abortion
What a young person can do if they are pregnant
How to access an abortion
Types of abortion
Abortion aftercare
Contraception after an abortion
Activity ideas for educators
Frequently asked questions
Sources of support and further information
The guide is intended for UK-based caregivers, teachers, schools and universities, and can be used alongside the 2025 Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) provision.
School of Sexuality Education provides in-school workshops on consent, reproductive and sexual health, porn literacy, puberty, body image, and positive relationships. We also work with university students and youth groups, and provide staff training and consultancy.
Every young person deserves access to inclusive, empowering and evidence-based RSHE. That includes being able to access factual information about abortion and reproductive healthcare, and having the skills to navigate the information they encounter online.
Image by Deeanna J
We are pleased to have collaborated with MSI Reproductive Choices UK on this project and grateful for their expertise in helping us produce a resource that provides accurate information about abortion care.
Access the toolkit on our resources page.
For more information about our programmes and workshops on abortion care, contact us via info@schoolofsexed.org.