Abortion pill by post to be scrapped – a human rights violation or lawful procedure?

By Olivia Warburton.

As a result of the pandemic, in 2020 the government made a decision which revolutionised abortion access in England. In a bid to take the strain off the overworked and underfunded NHS at a time of crisis, the government introduced the ‘pill by post’ scheme, enabling women to receive their prescribed abortion medication at home - but this is all due to end as of 29th August this year. In my opinion, removing this option of at-home abortions would be a dangerous step back for abortion rights and women’s rights in the country.

Having access to safe abortions is something I strongly believe is a fundamental right to any girl, woman or person with a uterus- should they one day choose to have a termination.

The ‘pill by post’ scheme proved undoubtedly vital for so many women during what was already an extremely scary time for the world. Waiting times to get an appointment with a clinician were massively reduced and the process became accessible to more women than ever across the country. It was found to be less emotionally distressing than having to travel to a clinic and proved especially beneficial for young, working-class women from less fortunate socio-economic backgrounds.

Without the scheme, many girls would have been faced with the ultimatum of either being added to oversubscribed waiting lists, with risks of complications and emotional distress rising each day, or resorting to illegal, life-threatening DIY methods with no medical supervision.

There are dangerous pills that can be purchased illegally as well as horrific ‘instructions’ on how to perform unsafe terminations yourself which have been circulating the internet before the pandemic hit, but lockdown really made the problem spiral. The lives of many vulnerable girls were at risk, but the ‘pill by post’ scheme provided a solution that was desperately needed. Taking it away would force many women, who before the pandemic would have had to travel hours to their nearest clinic, back into this unthinkable position of potentially having to put their life in the line for an abortion.

Having the choice of having an abortion has given women a more dignified and less emotionally damaging experience. Giving patients a sense of control over the process, allowing them to be in a familiar, safe environment where there is no judgement will have without question made an already difficult procedure to come to terms with even a little less daunting.

A common ‘argument’ anti-choice people often raise is that making abortions more accessible from home somehow encourages terminations overall, yet the scheme caused no abnormal spike in abortion rates. It is known worldwide that restricting abortion access does not decrease abortion rates - it just puts the lives of more women in jeopardy. Increasing access inherently increases safety.

Doctors and medical organisations have campaigned that there is no medical reason to remove the current telemedicine service. Pills by post caused no rise in hospital administrations due to taking the medicine at home and actually reduced complication risks as women were receiving the medication in a matter of days rather than weeks. No pills can be prescribed without an in-depth telephone consultation or e-consultation, and if healthcare professionals had any doubts about the patient they would arrange a face-to-face appointment before taking further action.

Women deserve the right to choose what they want to do with their body, in a clinic or in their own home, with dignity and guaranteed access. Why would the government want to scrap a scheme which proved to save time, NHS resources, and, what is most important to them, money? Thousands of women depended on this scheme over lockdown, so what will the thousands of women in the future who do not have easy access to abortions do without the option to have an abortion at home?

I believe everyone who cares about the rights of women all need to pressure the government into making the option for at-home abortions permanent.

Edited by Michelle Almeida