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Dear John,
Today, a brilliant Sky News Documentary ([link removed]) has been released looking at the revolutionary telemedical abortion service that was developed during the pandemic, the potential impact on women if permission for the service is revoked, and it stars one of our wonderful midwives, Caoilfhionn. It is definitely worth pausing your latest Netflix marathon to watch in full!

There is currently a public consultation to ensure telemedicine is secured for the future. If you have not yet responded to the consultations, please take a few minutes out of your day to do so here ([link removed]) . Thank you.
Watch the full documentary here:

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Research published today in BJOG ([link removed]) , co-authored by Paticia Lohr, Medical Director and Responsibility Officer at BPAS, analysing telemedical abortion care of 30,000 women provides yet more compelling evidence that it is a safe, effective, and patient-centred framework. You can read our full comment here ([link removed]) .

In case you need any more from the world of reproductive rights, please read on for this months Choice in the News...
This month:
* 40 Days for Life protests - yes, again!
* Edinburgh City Council - abortion info is not "adult material"
* WRISK report - the impact of COVID-19 on maternity care.
* Reclassification of the contraceptive pill.
* How you can get involved with our research.

40 Days for Life protests

It seems not even a global pandemic will prevent anti-abortion groups from harassing women accessing abortions as the US-based 40 Days for Life begin 40 day long protests outside 14 abortion clinics across Great Britain.

We are still campaigning for buffer zones to be placed around abortion clinics, and we are now monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of women accessing our care.
Edinburgh City Council - abortion is not "adult material!"

This week, it was reported ([link removed]) that Edinburgh City Council employees were unable to access sites with information about abortion. After BPAS called this out, we were pleased to see that the Council has reviewed their IT security filters to ensure that information about abortion is accessible for all their staff. Abortion is not controversial, and restricting access to abortion information only adds to the stigma women feel.
WRISK COVID Report

The newest WRISK COVID report ([link removed]) , released last month, surveyed pregnant women about their experience of maternity services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maternity service have had to change how they operate due to the pandemic, the WRISK report found that many women surveyed stated that the restrictions imposed on partner involvement during scans and labour caused distress and anxiety.

Read the full report here ([link removed]) .
Reclassification of the contraceptive pill

We believe reproductive healthcare should be placed in women's hands wherever possible, with no clinically unnecessary barriers or restrictions. As noted in the Guardian ([link removed]) , the reclassification of the progestogen-only pill would allow it to be sold directly to women without a prescription by a pharmacist. There is now an open consultation on this which you can respond to here ([link removed] ) , and you can read our full comment here ([link removed]) .
Get involved in our research:

My Body, My Life survey

Have you been affected by abortion during Covid-19? If so, MyBodyMyLife would like to hear from you. If you would like to contribute, are aged 16+ and are based in the UK or Ireland, please email [email protected] for more information.
Best wishes,

The BPAS team


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

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** Our work
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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.
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]) .
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]) 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]) aims to understand and improve the communication of risk in pregnancy, to make things better for women.

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