Early medical abortion: best practice now lawful in Scotland and Wales but not available to women in England

Response to ‘Home use of misoprostol: is it really safe and appreciated?’

“…We would like to thank Drs McCarthy and Pike for their interest1 in our editorial,2 and especially for their openness about whom they represent. We note that the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) is opposed to abortion in all circumstances, and that this opposition includes the use of postcoital contraceptives, implants and injectable contraceptives and also the creation of embryos through in vitro fertilisation (IVF).…”

“…Our editorial2 cited some of the major reviews that demonstrate the safety, efficacy and acceptability for home use of abortifacients, alongside examples of five national and international guidelines that themselves are based on systematic review. Drs McCarthy and Pike have not explained why the women of England should be denied access to the same evidence-based care.…”

Abort er en medisinsk nødvendighet

“…Det tas da ingen hensyn til omstendighetene rundt unnfangelsen (selv ikke om graviditeten er følge av voldtekt eller incest), svangerskapslengde (selv om det er i første trimester), risiko for fosteret eller barnet (selv ved dødelige misdannelser eller risiko for alvorlig funksjonshemning) eller risiko for kvinnen selv (selv om hun kan dø) (2). Land som Irland og Skottland med en konservativ tradisjon der religion står sterkt, har nylig fått mer reproduktiv frihet etter at nye lover har blitt vedtatt (3,4). Samtidig har det vaert en uventet endring i retning av regresjon i England og Norge, utelukkende politisk motivert (5,6).…”

Criminalised abortion in UK obstructs reflective choice and best care

“…Resources currently used to “police” choice and access15 could be reallocated to offering counselling services to women who are ambivalent or whose abortion request signals a wider life crisis, and to ensuring immediate access to effective post-abortion contraception. That way, ineffective, unjustified, and unpopular attempts to constrain women’s reproductive choices would be replaced with active support to ensure that, as far as possible, each woman makes the right choice for her circumstances.…”