As you know, in April 2020 the Government introduced permission to allow women to receive early abortion medication by post, following a telemedical consultation with a healthcare professional. This service has been a lifeline for women who would have struggled to access in-clinic care, including victims of domestic abuse, those who have been shielding, and women from the most deprived communities.
The Government is currently consulting on whether to revoke the service, and in doing so re-criminalise early abortion at home.
This means women could go to prison for life if caught using safe, medical abortion pills at home.
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For many women, particularly those in insecure employment, those with caring responsibilities, and those in coercive or controlling relationships, being required to take medication in a licensed clinic or hospital is difficult.
If the government revoke pills by post, women in incredibly difficult circumstances will suffer the most, and will once again turn to online pills and risk criminal sanction
Tell your MP to make sure women can continue to access safe, legal abortion care at home. #CareNotCriminalisation
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Best wishes,
The BPAS team
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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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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Improving access to contraception
We're working with pharmacists nationwide to improve access to several methods of contraception, including the injection and the pill.
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 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 finalist. We provide confidential, non-judgemental counselling & education to aid women's wellbeing & rehabilitation.
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 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.
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 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 aims to understand and improve the communication of risk in pregnancy, to make things better for women.
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