Abortions in England and Wales reach record high

Abortions in England and Wales reach record high
Particularly sharp rise among women aged 30-34, but fewer teenagers are having procedure

Denis Campbell, Health policy editor
Published on Thu 11 Jun 2020

A record number of women in England and Wales had an abortion last year, and numbers rose particularly sharply among women aged 30 and over.

A total of 207,384 procedures were carried out, official figures show, the highest number in a year since the historic vote in 1967 to legalise abortion in Britain through the Abortion Act.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/11/abortions-in-england-and-wales-reach-record-high

11.06.2020

British Pregnancy Advisory Service

Clare Murphy

increase in abortion rates

Jonathan Lord

Marie Stopes UK

Society for the Protection of Unborn Children

Women in England will be able to take abortion pills at home during the coronavirus outbreak

Women in England will be able to take abortion pills at home during the coronavirus outbreak

Posted by Lauren Geall
Mar 30, 2020

Women in England will be able to take abortion pills at home during the coronavirus outbreak, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson has confirmed.

Last week the government published legislation which said that abortion pills would be available at home, before declaring that the update had been published in error and withdrawing the announcement.

Continued: https://www.stylist.co.uk/life/abortion-access-during-coronavirus-pandemic-at-home-abortion-pills-telemedicine-update/373309

Relaxation of UK abortion rules welcomed by experts

Relaxation of UK abortion rules welcomed by experts
Rules eased during coronavirus crisis to allow women to be sent both sets of abortion pills

Aamna Mohdin
Mon 30 Mar 2020

Leading UK healthcare providers have welcomed the government’s decision to allow women to take abortion pills at home without travelling to a clinic.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed the government was updating its guidance to help women who need an abortion, but cannot access a clinic because of measures put in place to stem the spread of coronavirus.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/30/relaxation-of-uk-abortion-rules-welcomed-by-experts-coronavirus

Coronavirus is making abortion access more difficult in the UK

Coronavirus is making abortion access more difficult in the UK

By Rachel Thompson
March 25, 2020

The UK is now under lockdown. Britons are only permitted to leave their homes for food, health reasons, or work (if it's not possible to be done from home) in a bid to slow the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19).

Abortion services in the UK are under considerable strain as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Women with severe health issues who've been advised to self-isolate say they're being forced to choose between risking their health by leaving their house and continuing with an unwanted pregnancy that could imperil their health, according to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS).

Continued: https://mashable.com/article/coronavirus-abortion-access-uk/

UK – Ministers approve home use of both stages of abortion pill due to Covid-19

Ministers approve home use of both stages of abortion pill due to Covid-19

23 March, 2020
By Steve Ford

The government has given temporary approval of the home as a class of place where both abortion pills can be taken for early medical abortion, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It has also approved the home of a registered doctor as a class of place where both abortion pills – mifepristone and misoprostol – can be prescribed for the treatment of early medical abortion.

Continued: https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/policies-and-guidance/ministers-approve-home-use-of-both-stages-of-abortion-pill-due-to-covid-19-23-03-2020/

23.03.2020

Amnesty International UK

coronavirus

Covid-19 and abortion

Department of Health and Social Care

UK – Why anti-abortion activists are targeting UK universities

Why anti-abortion activists are targeting UK universities
National Union of Students reports rise of pro-life groups on campuses

Jan 6, 2020
Gabriel Power

Anti-abortion activists are increasingly targeting UK university campuses in a bid to recruit students to pro-life causes, according to a new study by the National Union of Students (NUS).

The number of anti-abortion societies in university students’ unions nationwide has risen just eight in 2018 to 14. The increase comes despite “fierce opposition from students who are overwhelmingly pro-choice”, says The Guardian, which reports that “some student unions have been threatened with legal action if they attempt to prevent anti-abortion groups opening on campus”.

Continued: https://www.theweek.co.uk/105079/why-anti-abortion-activists-are-targeting-uk-universities

UK – Why We’re Campaigning To Change Abortion Law

Why We’re Campaigning To Change Abortion Law

Vicky Spratt
21 October 2019

At some point in their lives, before the age of 45, one in three women will have an abortion. Just like pregnancy itself, the need to terminate one is a fact of life. More than this, being able to access safe, free and legal abortion services should you need to is acknowledged to be a basic human right for women and pregnant people.

Since 1967, abortion has been legal in England, Scotland and Wales because of the Abortion Act, a victory that was hard-fought and won by campaigners. For those of us who have grown up in Britain since, access to abortion is something we have (for the most part) been able to take for granted.

Continued: https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2019/10/8572968/imacriminal-abortion-campaign

UK – What Happens When an Abortion Doesn’t Fully Work

What Happens When an Abortion Doesn't Fully Work
I had an incomplete abortion last year. This is what I wish I'd known about them.

by Rose Stokes
Aug 15 2019

Last year, I had an abortion. My reasons for doing so are deeply personal, painful, and nobody’s business but mine. Once I'd decided to terminate the pregnancy, a woman from British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) asked me over the phone if I wanted a medical abortion—which was still possible at my stage of pregnancy (nine weeks)—or a surgical one. I had no idea.
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“What’s the difference?” I asked.

“Well, one you take a pill and the other is more invasive."

Continued: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7x5pqz/what-is-incomplete-failed-abortion

‘Americanized’ anti-abortion protests are on the rise in the UK. But a fight back has begun

'Americanized' anti-abortion protests are on the rise in the UK. But a fight back has begun

By Amy Woodyatt, CNN
Tue July 9, 2019

London (CNN) Monika Neall was standing outside an abortion clinic in Manchester when she saw a woman in her mid-20s dart out the doors. The woman moved towards a parked car, then suddenly froze.

On the ground nearby lay plastic fetus models, candles and images of mothers gazing adoringly at babies. Panicking, she caught Neall's eye. "That's my car," she said, her voice starting to crack.

Continued: https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/09/europe/anti-abortion-manchester-protests-uk-gbr-intl/index.html

MPs vote to extend abortion and same-sex marriage rights to Northern Ireland

MPs vote to extend abortion and same-sex marriage rights to Northern Ireland
Westminster government has said it will honour both results despite ministerial doubts

Peter Walker, and Rory Carroll in Dublin
Tue 9 Jul 2019

MPs have voted resoundingly to extend same-sex marriage and access to abortion to Northern Ireland, bringing the region into line with the rest of the UK on the two significant social issues.

The two historic votes, arriving within little more than a quarter of an hour of each other, were greeted ecstatically by equalities campaigners. With ministers promising to respect the results, they could have vital repercussions for people in Northern Ireland.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/09/mps-vote-to-extend-same-sex-marriage-to-northern-ireland