Overcoming challenges in research on self-managed medication abortion: Lessons from a collaborative activist–researcher partnership

Leveraging the shared goal of systematic research on self-managed abortion, researchers and accompaniment groups—activists who provide accompaniment for self-managed abortion—have begun to explore if and when research collaboration can advance knowledge and understanding. In this commentary, we share the experiences and perspectives of activists and researchers in the development of a collaboration designed to collect transformative evidence about people’s experiences self-managing abortions with accompaniment group support, as well as the safety and effectiveness of the model. We consider this through the stages of the partnership, from formation to structure and process to lessons learned.