United Kingdom: Abortion by Post Is Prolonged

The measure was taken at the start of the pandemic. Women who did not wish to carry their pregnancy to term could obtain the abortion pill by post, delivered after a simple teleconsultation. The deadline for resorting to this “postal abortion” was set at 10 weeks of pregnancy.

The law authorizing these “postal abortions” was due to expire at the end of March. But on February 24, the British Department of Health indicated that a six-month extension would be put in place “to allow clinics time to reinstate previous arrangements.”

In theory, in six months, “the pre-Covid regulatory requirements for the provision of early medical abortions will be reinstated,” declared the minister over the BBC airwaves.

For the record, in the United Kingdom, regardless of the measures taken due to Covid-19, medical abortion requires the taking of two tablets. The second is always taken at home.

A decision taken against the results of the public survey conducted shortly before by the government: “it is clear from this consultation that there is very strong public support, up to 70%, for ending these dangerous measures as soon as possible,” notes Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for the pro-life association Right to Life UK.

Also, “it is disappointing that the provision did not cease on its scheduled end date, March 30, 2022,” she lamented: nothing has really been done so far to allow the health establishments concerned to organize their return to the previous provisions governing abortion.

In the UK, 2,000 women undergo medical abortion each week. In the first year of the pandemic, a “record number of abortions was recorded,” according to organizations that defend the right to life.