{"id":235964,"date":"2020-12-10T15:51:41","date_gmt":"2020-12-10T21:51:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=235964"},"modified":"2023-11-14T20:26:49","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T02:26:49","slug":"wales-evaluate-end-dangerous-diy-abortions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wales-evaluate-end-dangerous-diy-abortions\/","title":{"rendered":"Government of Wales to evaluate whether to end dangerous ‘DIY’ at-home abortions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Right to Life UK<\/a>)\u00a0The Welsh Government has\u00a0launched<\/a>\u00a0a consultation on whether the temporary measures allowing \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortions in Wales will be ended following their current temporary approval.<\/p>\n

The Welsh Government is consulting on whether the measures should \u201cbecome permanent\u201d or \u201cbe time limited for two years and end two years after the Coronavirus Act came into force [\u2026]\u00a0 or end on the day on which the temporary provision of the Coronavirus Act 2020 expire, whichever is earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n

Temporary approval<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Welsh Government followed England in introducing<\/a> a temporary approval to allow \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortions earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Previously, abortions could only take place in hospitals or abortion clinics approved by the Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services. However, under the temporary policy, an abortion provider can prescribe abortion pills (mifepristone and misoprostol) over the phone or video and then women perform their own abortion at home, by taking both abortion pills, meaning they are left to pass their unborn child at home without direct medical supervision.<\/p>\n

Ahead of issuing the temporary approval for England, the Department of Health and Social Care made it very clear<\/a> that there were significant safety and safeguarding issues for women and young girls.<\/p>\n

Significant safety and safeguarding issues<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortions were introduced, a number of significant problems have arisen.<\/p>\n

According to a leaked<\/a> \u201curgent email\u201d sent by a regional chief midwife at NHS England and NHS Improvement on the \u201cescalating risk\u201d around \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortions, police have opened a murder investigation<\/a> into the death of a baby who they believe was born alive despite her mother taking \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills.<\/p>\n

In May, it was revealed<\/a> UK police were investigating the death of an unborn baby after its mother took \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills while 28 weeks\u2019 pregnant.<\/p>\n

In addition, abortion provider BPAS said<\/a> they were investigating a further eight cases of women taking \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills beyond the 10-week limit, raising questions over what checks are being conducted to ensure the law isn\u2019t being broken and dangerous late-term abortions aren\u2019t happening.<\/p>\n

A nationwide undercover investigation found<\/a> evidence of abortion providers putting women at significant risk by not carrying out basic checks before sending them \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills. The investigation also discovered<\/a> \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills can easily be obtained and administered to others, potentially in a coercive manner.<\/p>\n

A number of women have also come forward to share the serious problems<\/a> they\u2019ve experienced after taking \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills. Another nurse has criticised judges<\/a> who ruled in favour of \u2018DIY\u2019 abortion, and she is considering legal action after a \u2018DIY\u2019 abortion left her needing life-changing surgery.<\/p>\n

As reported by the BBC, concerns<\/a> have previously been raised in Wales over the negative impact on women\u2019s health of not being able to access in-person abortion counselling.<\/p>\n

Nearly 300 healthcare workers<\/a> have signed an open letter to Northern Ireland\u2019s Health Minister making it clear that they do not want \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortions introduced to Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

\u2018Misleading\u2019 consultation paper<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Welsh consultation paper implies<\/a> that the temporary provision has been responsible for the increasing number of abortions under 10 weeks\u2019 gestation.<\/p>\n

Right To Life UK have refuted this claim, however. Spokesperson Catherine Robinson responded:<\/p>\n

While there has been an increase in the percentage of abortions before 10 weeks compared to last year, this is part of an existing long-term trend<\/a> towards a higher percentage of abortions happening before 10 weeks, with similar year-on-year percentage increases happening each year for a number of years. The introduction of \u2018at-home\u2019 abortion appears to have made little difference to this trend., and the consultation paper is misleading to imply otherwise.<\/em><\/p>\n

In any case, relying on the self-reporting of gestational age for tracking abortion trends is hardly the foundation for sweeping claims of changing practice.<\/em><\/p>\n