Conscientious objection to provision of legal abortion care

Despite advances in scientific evidence, technologies, and human rights rationale for providing safe abortion, a broad range of cultural, regulatory, and health system barriers that deter access to abortion continues to exist in many countries. When conscientious objection to provision of abortion becomes one of these barriers, it can create risks to women’s health and the enjoyment of their human rights. To eliminate this barrier, states should implement regulations for healthcare providers on how to invoke conscientious objection without jeopardizing women’s access to safe, legal abortion services, especially with regard to timely referral for care and in emergency cases when referral is not possible. In addition, states should take all necessary measures to ensure that all women and adolescents have the means to prevent unintended pregnancies and to obtain safe abortion

Optical, Electrochemical, and Structural Properties of Er-Doped Porous Silicon

We present here a study of Er doping of n+-type porous silicon. The samples were characterized in situ by their electrochemical behavior and ex situ by optical reflectivity and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A clear correlation between the optical properties and the Er content of the samples is demonstrated. Refractive index dependence on Er content has also been obtained through simulations of reflectivity spectra in the 350–2500 nm range