The fact that women had to wait for a global pandemic to be afforded the right to have an early medical abortion (“EMA”) in the comfort of their own home and family is frankly a representation of the continuing failure to consider women’s rights.
In this blog, I will be exploring the arguments for the continuation of home abortion. The law currently states that at home abortions are permitted until March 2022 or when the Covid-19 legislation is removed, whichever comes first. The temporary COVID-19 legislation allows for both abortion pills, the first drug being mifepristone and the second drug misoprostol, to be taken at home for abortions under 10 weeks’ gestation. Between April and June 2020, there were 23,061 medical abortions where both pills for EMA were administered at home under the temporary provision, representing 43% of abortions during this time.
In 2018, the Secretary of State used powers in the Abortion Act 1967 to approve English homes as a class of places where the second drug for EMA could be carried out. This meant that whilst the first drug still had to be taken at an approved clinic, the second could be taken at home. This reduced the nature of discomfort for many women and stopped women passing the foetus on the way home.
At home abortion removes geographical barrier. Whilst many places in England and Wales have sufficient access to an abortion clinic, recent closures because of the pandemic have meant that the distances some women are required to travel to have an abortion has increased. In rural parts of UK and in particular, Scotland, this is a real time issue posing significant barriers to the ability to exercise their right to an abortion. It is important to note that at home services are not available to woman in Northern Ireland. Even since the decriminalisation of abortion in July 2019, women are not afforded the ability to have an at home abortion. These women are therefore subject to unnecessary COVID-19 exposure.
Attending a clinic also many require a woman to take time off work or arrange childcare or other caring responsibilities. These barriers can mean woman postpone their abortion which can lead to complications.
The evidence suggests that a full at home abortion is safe, effective and efficient. Whilst, it is mostly safe, abortion like any medical procedure is not risk free, although figures demonstrate that 1.6 out of 1000 abortions have some level of complications. If you require further details on the procedure, please visit the BPAS website.
Whilst there are some who argue that at home EMA will result in some woman lying and having an EMA for later term abortions, this abuse by some women should not prevent other women being able to exercise their right. I use the term ‘abuse’ lightly, it is necessary to question why a woman would lie. Is it because the current provisions in place do not make abortions accessible to all? In my opinion, this is an abuse of governmental power, rather than a women’s.
Some may also argue that making abortions more accessible will result in women having more of them, with both men and women not feeling the need to take contraceptive methods or family planning seriously. However, does this negate from a women’s right to a safe and private abortion at home? Although it is important that contraceptive devices are the main procedure for preventing pregnancy, contraceptive devices still fail.
In fact, the pills for the procedure can be bought illegally online. Due to the medical nature of pregnancy and menstruation being one means of determining gestation period, there is some small risk that at home abortions will be performed on a foetus over 10 weeks.
It is important to note that, home use is a common practice in other part of the world that allow for abortions, and it is in fact recommended by the World Health Organisation, suggesting that the arguments against the availability of at home abortions are outweighed by the greater ability for women to exercise their rights to an abortion at home.
There is currently a government consultation underway looking at whether the availability of at home abortions should be extended beyond COVID legislation when the barriers posed by COVID no longer exist. The consultation closed on 26th February 2021.
If the pandemic has taught us one thing it is the power and necessity to adapt. Through accessing both pills for an abortion at home women have been afforded an easier and more peaceful route for a procedure which is far from peaceful or easy. After the pandemic is over we should not take away the rights women have been afforded. It should be the start of creating a procedure which can protect a women’s rights as well as their autonomy to decide where it is carried out.
Sources
Access to remote abortion services should not be temporary, April 2020.
Banning safe at home abortion pills will leave more women in crisis, February 2021.