Take action now to ensure women can access abortion care

View this email in your browser ([link removed])
Dear John,

We only have 12 hours to secure an amendment to the Coronavirus Bill to protect women’s access to abortion care during this public health crisis – and we need your help.

We are calling on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, to act today to enable nurses and midwives to sign off abortion procedures during this time of crisis - or risk delays to up to 44,000 abortion procedures.

Email your MP now ([link removed][UNIQID])

The current law on abortion requires that two doctors provide signatures to certify that the abortion does not breach the terms of the 1967 Abortion Act.

In the next 13 weeks, as the COVID-19 pandemic reaches its peak in the UK, 44,000 women in England and Wales will need an Early Medical Abortion. This means that in the next 13 weeks, 88,000 signatures will need to be sought for abortions prior to 12 weeks’ gestation.

If doctors are unable to certify abortion procedures due to COVID-19, the service will be unable to run.
Email your MP now ([link removed][UNIQID])
Please ask your MP to make representations today to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to amend the Coronavirus Bill – in line with recommendations from senior healthcare professionals – to allow nurses and midwives to certify abortion procedures directly.
Thank you for your support.

Best wishes,

The bpas team
[link removed][UNIQID]
[link removed][UNIQID]
[link removed][UNIQID]
[link removed][UNIQID]


** Become a friend
------------------------------------------------------------
You can support our work defending and extending reproductive rights by becoming a friend of bpas, from as little as £2 per month.

Sign up! ([link removed][UNIQID])


** Visit our shop
------------------------------------------------------------
You can support our work by visiting the friends of bpas shop! We have tote bags, pin badges and much more...

Shop now ([link removed][UNIQID])


** Our work
------------------------------------------------------------
We Trust Women

Under a law from 1861 any woman, anywhere in the UK, can go to prison for ending a pregnancy without the permission of two doctors. MPs support change, but we need the opportunity to make it happen. We are considering several legislative routes, including one based on the forthcoming Domestic Abuse Bill.
Preventing clinic protests

Anti-abortion activism targeted at clinics is on the rise in the UK. We are working to introduce buffer zones around abortion clinics to protect women and staff from intimidation and harassment. So far two buffer zones have been introduced, and more are in the pipeline.
Fighting the two-child benefits cap

The two-child benefits cap pushes families into poverty and impacts women's reproductive decisions. We are working with other UK charities to fight it. Read our briefing here ([link removed][UNIQID]) .
Just Say Non!

Our campaign for accessible emergency contraception has seen prices slashed across major pharmacy chains. We're now working to make it available straight from the pharmacy shelf, without a mandatory consultation – as already happens in the USA, Canada, and many European countries.
Improving access to contraception

We're working with pharmacists nationwide to improve access to several methods of contraception, including the injection and the pill.
Working with women in prisons

Our contraceptive counselling & well woman advice service in Europe's largest women’s prison, HMP Bronzefield, was an RCNi Nurse Awards ([link removed][UNIQID]) finalist. We provide confidential, non-judgemental counselling & education to aid women's wellbeing & rehabilitation.
Decriminalisation further afield

We’ve been working with pro-choice campaigners and the governments of the Isle of Man and Gibraltar to change their laws outlawing abortion and help them provide care for their citizens.
Wrisk

Women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy are bombarded with public health messages, for example about what to eat, drink, how much they should weigh, and what medications they should or shouldn’t take. The WRISK project ([link removed][UNIQID]) aims to understand and improve the communication of risk in pregnancy, to make things better for women.

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed][UNIQID])
** Facebook ([link removed][UNIQID])
** Website ([link removed][UNIQID])
** Instagram ([link removed][UNIQID])
Copyright © 2020 BPAS, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have previously signed up to receive email updates from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.

Our mailing address is:
BPAS
30-31
Furnival Street
London, Greater London EC4A 1JQ
United Kingdom
You can email us at [email protected]

Our privacy policy is ** here ([link removed][UNIQID])
. We use MailChimp to manage our membership lists and communicate with subscribers. You can read MailChimp’s privacy policy ** here ([link removed][UNIQID])
. MailChimp will store your data securely, and neither bpas nor MailChimp will share your data with anyone else.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.
Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
[link removed]