Safe Abortion Day 2023

Thursday September 28th 2023 is the International Day for Safe Abortion, and we have plans!
We will be rallying at Shaftsbury Square from 12:30pm calling for the implementation of abortion services and looking ahead to the introduction of Safe Access Zone. Keep an eye on our socials too as we see how the SOSNI is faring and some other actions.

There will be events taking place all over the world, including in Dublin from our friends in Abortion Rights Campaign on Thursday, in Malta where Voice for Choice will be marching once again on Saturday and Stop Violencies Andorra have activities planned from 26 - 30 September! Check out http://www.september28.org/ to see what all is happening.

We have been told that Safe Access Zones will be in place ‘in a few weeks’ for a few months now, so we are not taking anything for granted, but this is a firm commitment from DOH that SAZs will be live this week. We still do not have commissioned abortion services either, so we’ve plenty to make noise about. Keep reading to learn more about how we got here, and what’s next.

Safe Access Zones

We are pleased to see a statement from the DoH today, 25th September, that they SAZs will be in place by the end of this week, the 29th September.
Earlier this month the NIO confirmed to us that the DoH were ‘on track’ to implement SAZs by the end of the month. This came after a few days of signage outside Causeway Hospital, which was removed as quickly as it was erected.  We are pleased to see a statement from the DoH today, 25th September, that they SAZs will be in place by the end of this week, the 29th September.

However, given the winding road we’ve had to get here we aren’t celebrating just yet.
The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023 came into force in May after a 6 month lead in period. Despite having time to prepare, 2 months after this The Department said ‘detailed preparation work has been ongoing for a number of months, including mapping and signage arrangements’ however they were still ‘finalising a policy statement on Safe Access Zones as part of the preparations for their introduction.’ Today’s announcement means they will just meet their earlier promise made on 3rd July 2023 to introduce SAZ by the end of September.

This slow movement from the Department means that women and pregnant people accessing health care, and the staff providing it, have continued to be harassed and intimidated despite Safe Access Zone legislation. 

Outstanding commitments

Abortion services are still not commissioned.

While Conscientious Providers are doing their best to rejig resources so that each Trust can provide Early Medical Abortion with pills, this is precarious. Lack of commission means a lack of funding, training, and staff. We’ve seen services collapse before in Trusts as hard working staff take the leave they are entitled to, this is unacceptable for workers and patients alike. 

The Department of Health refuse to provide a central online information point for those needing abortions. While the NIO and some individual Trusts are doing what they can to provide information, some women and pregnant people are still ending up at Stanton Healthcare who continue to provide misinformation, harass and traumatize women; at times deliberately engaging them until past the 9 weeks 6 days cut off. 

Accessing abortion care currently means contacting the Central Booking Line via phone or web form, waiting for them to contact you to arrange an appointment, and then waiting for the appointment. It is a lot of waiting to fit into around 10 weeks! We’ve been contacted by people waiting up to 2 weeks for a call back, and then 5 weeks for an appointment. BPAS are doing what they can to meet demand but are under pressure with resources given that abortions in England have also increased by 17% on this time last year.

The process for surgical abortion or those after 12 weeks is even harder to navigate. Due to a lack of guidelines, and ongoing criminalisation of healthcare providers in the regulations, people are being sent for second opinions or having their request for an abortion assessed by a panel of doctors. Manual Vacuum Aspiration is being progressed in one Trust but we have no specifics on when it will be available, or to what gestation.

We need commissioned and resourced abortion services, managed at a local level, supported by the introduction of telemedicine. 

We need an end to the criminalisation of doctors, midwives and nurses.

We need the 2020 regulations as a minimum. 

No care at home

The UK Government have released figures for January - June 2022.

These figures show that 96 women and pregnant people traveled from NI to England for abortion, 4 a week, 1 every other day.

This includes 3 under 16s, and 3 aged 16 or 17;  6 minors had to travel to England. 

They should have been treated here.
Around a third of those who traveled were under 10 weeks. Were they living in a Trust where services had collapsed? Did they need a surgical abortion due to a medical condition? 

They should have been treated here.
15 were over 20 weeks. Had they found something out at their ‘big scan’, and the doctor was too worried about criminalisation? 

They should have been treated here.

What’s next?

Maybe the Department will have crossed all their Ts and dotted their Is soon, and we will be able to celebrate not too long after International Safe Abortion Day that we have Safe Access Zones that can actually be enforced.

Maybe We’ll have commissioned, resourced, locally available abortion services by the end of 2023.

Maybe then no one else will have to travel.

In any event our Doulas will continue to support people who self manage their abortion, our website will continue to have the most up to date information, and we will continue to advocate for those who need us too - whether they have complex medical needs, are an asylum seeker in contingency accommodation, or have been misled by so called ‘crisis pregnancy centers’.

A year to here - one year on from the decriminalisation of abortion in NI

October
In October there was a last ditch attempt by anti-choice MLAs to restore Stormont after nearly 3 years to block abortion access and marriage equality. We said Stop the Shenanigans, and celebrated as abortion was decriminalised. The NIO issued interim guidance for healthcare professionals who were able to start providing care.

November

In November the consultation for the abortion regulations opened, and we planned a series of Consultation Cafes to help people respond to the consultation and have their voices heard. Thanks to supporters we raised £10428.34 through Local Giving to run these events and produce information booklets on what the new law could mean.  

December

Consultation Cafes continued into December, and we worked on the response from Alliance for Choice. We hosted the ‘Normalising Abortion’ conference where we came together to demonstrate our achievements over many decades in the struggle for reproductive rights and planned for what’s next.

January
Stormont returned and the New Decade New Approach deal was signed. Robin Swann became health minister. We also welcomed back the FPA with their new name Informing Choices NI.

February
In February we had a meeting along with friends in the women’s sector with Minister Walker and NIO staff. We told them in detail the shortcomings of the regulations, our concern at the creation of a new criminal offense for health care professionals, and our doubts that the wording was strong enough for the Health Department to be compelled to act. We were right, but they didn’t listen.

March
The regulations were published along with an explanatory note from the NIO. As expected the did not deliver the #FreeSafeLegalLocal abortion care we need. We launched our #ThisIsAnSOS campaign highlighting the flaws, and calling on the newly appointed secretary of state Brandon Lewis to uphold our human rights, as well as highlighting the need for telemedicine as Covid19 restrictions grew. A debate at Stormont proved to be a platform for anti choice rhetoric, but had no impact on the regulations.

https://www.alliance4choice.com/thisisansos
https://www.alliance4choice.com/news/2020/3/activists-across-the-island-call-for-emergency-measures-to-include-abortion-telemedicine

https://www.alliance4choice.com/news/2020/3/regulations-published-for-northern-ireland-abortion-provision-amidst-covid-19
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-new-legal-framework-for-abortion-services-in-northern-Ireland

April
the pandemic led to travel chaos, flights were cancelled and everyone was advised to #StayHomeSaveLives. Despite this the Minister for Health refused to commission abortion services, and the NIO repeatedly told us to travel to England for funded care. The only option for travel was an 8 hour overnight freight ferry, with no where to stay when you got there, and clinics struggling to provide services due to staff shortages caused by Covid. 

Following a near tragedy when a woman was denied abortion care despite regulations being in place, Minister Swann and the executive brought in interim guidelines for early medical abortion up to 10 week. This did not included telemedicine, nor did it commission services. Informing Choices NI began operating the Central Access Point organising appointments at a limited number of providers.

May
Robin Swann continued to say abortion  is a cross-cutting matter that needed to be approved by the whole executive, meaning that he would not commission services. Westminster advanced the regulations to the next stage which involved some minor amendments to language.

June

The regulations received their final approval at Westminster. At Stormont, The DUP brought a cynical motion attempting to limit abortion provision in the guise of disability rights, and Sinn Fein added an unhelpful amendment. The vote was non-binding and does not alter the Regulations. Figures were released from the UK Government to show that 1014 people travelled from NI to GB for an abortion in 2019.

July

The House of Commons published a briefing note on the regulations, nothing that There were 8 ‘terminations of pregnancy’ in hospitals in Northern Ireland in 2018-19 under the existing law, while 1,053 women travelled to England from Northern Ireland in 2018 for an abortion procedure under a scheme funded by the UK Government.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8909/
With the ongoing failure of the health department to commission abortion services, we started our Doula classes.

August

Responding to the DUP, the government representative Viscount Younger of Lecki said ‘the Government stands ready to provide whatever support and guidance we can to both the Northern Ireland Minister for Health and his department to assist them in progressing work to set up full abortion services as soon as possible, consistent with the Regulations.’ Despite this there were still no attempts to commission abortion services, with the DOH issuing a statement saying that commissioning of services would require a consultation, and cross party executive approval.

September
In September we celebrated Safe Abortion Day and the annual March For Choice digitally. The theme was #CareAtHome, which highlighted the need for the commissioning of abortion services, the fact people were still traveling, and the importance of telemedicine especially during the pandemic. 

October

As a result of the lack of commissioning of services by the DoH, the Northern Trust was forced to pull services due to a lack of resources. In response to a question from Claire Bailey GPNI, Robin Swann maintained his position that while abortion is now legal, he believes he is not obliged to commission services. The DoH also issued a statement reiterating their position that any commissioning would require consultation, and executive approval. Despite the many barriers to abortion services, figures are released that show 664 people were able to access abortion in NI from April – September. It is not known how many ordered pills from Women on Web or Women Help Women, or how many continued to travel.

Self-Managed Abortions do not put anyone at any greater risk...

Or, what we actually responded to the Newsletter’s Adam Kula:

Today the Newsletter once against posted a scaremongering article this time about abortion access; https://donotlink.it/LP6lVy

So Alliance for Choice would like to publish our conversation with the writer in question, in full, as we believe some of the article is misleading and harmful.

”Good evening,

This is Adam Kula at the News Letter, I hope you are well. I am getting in touch because I had seen your upcoming class on 'self-managed abortion' and wanted to run this past you.

The Department of Health says the following: "Women are at risk if they access unregulated abortion services – the Department’s view is that that services should be properly delivered through direct medical supervision within the Health and Social Care system."

In short, I wondered if you wanted to have your say on that. If so, please email me here by noon tomorrow if you can.

Regards,

Adam Kula”

---

Hi Adam, 

Thanks for your email and your interest in our Pills class - are you going to attend the class?
I am drafting a response to the question for you now.

Many thanks

Emma Campbell, Co-Convenor

---

Hello,

Thanks for that. I'll not be attending, though. It's just that, when I read about the class, it brought to mind conversations I've had with the RCM in the past, where they've told me they were opposed to the idea of DIY abortions, on the grounds that terminations are best performed in a supervised clinical environment.

Adam Kula

---

Dear Adam, 

Many thanks for enquiring about our online class explaining how to use abortion pills at home safely. This is part of the joint activities with our partner the Abortion Rights Campaign to commemorate International Day of Safe Abortion. The theme this year is 'I manage my abortion' and our local theme is 'care at home'. The home use of abortion pills following consultation with a medical professional is safe and it is healthcare that should be commissioned by the Department of Health in NI following the regulations. People should not be forced to travel to GB to access abortion care, which the NIO and DoH suggest as an acceptable pathway. Currently across GB there are measures for telemedicine and home use of pills in place, NI once again stands as a place apart failing to offer those who need abortions care even though there is now a legal obligation for these services to be provided.Our session on abortion pills, details the drugs used for early medical abortion, the methods of taking the pills for the most effective outcomes, the safety measures for afterwards, how to look out for complications and what to do if they arise. Alliance for Choice have been running similar workshops for almost 7 years and the medical advice and evidence we use is based both on the recommendations of the World Health Organisation and the advice of providers such as BPAS, Women on Web and Women Help Women, all of whom follow strict clinical guidelines and ask patients to go through either an online or telephone consultation before accessing the pills.

The World Health Organisation released a report in 2018 outlining the safest methods of delivery for medical abortion, based on global evidence, they concluded,

 “Given the nature of the medical abortion process, it is also possible for individuals to play a role in managing some of the components by themselves, outside of a health-care facility. Another existing WHO guideline, Health worker roles in providing safe abortion and post-abortion contraception (2015), recommends that in specific circumstances, individuals may self-manage their mifepristone and/or misoprostol medication without direct supervision of a health-care provider, as well as self-assess the success of the abortion process using pregnancy tests and checklists.”

For women and pregnant people in Northern Ireland, currently the main method of delivery of abortion up to 10 weeks gestation, is with the pills mifepristone and misoprostol, with the 1st pill being taken at a clinic and the second set of pills at home. Despite the law saying abortion should be on request up to 12 weeks and pills being recommended up to 13 weeks by the World Health Organisation, our health service stops at 10 weeks as it has not been properly commissioned by the Department of Health due to political prevarication. This has meant many people are not able to properly access abortion with pills via the Northern Ireland Health Service, even though legally they should.

For some in NI, if they qualify, they can order the pills to be delivered by post from BPAS https://www.bpas.org/abortion-care/abortion-treatments/the-abortion-pill/remote-treatment/ and others continue to use the services of Women on Web and Women Help Women,  which is currently not a criminal offence. If you look online, information on how to access abortion in Northern Ireland has not been published by any of our Health Trusts, again, due to a failure of the Depart of Health to provide information and services. Informing Choices NI do sterling work in supporting people with access up to 10 weeks but again are not supported to do this by our Health Department and have to rely on charity funding.

Once England pressed ahead with self-managed telemedicine abortion due to Covid-19, Dr Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said:

“Giving women the option of taking both abortion pills at home following a video consultation is safe and effective and has rightly been judged as a vital and necessary step if we are to limit the spread of COVID-19. Many women will no longer be forced to make the difficult decision between leaving their home and continuing with an unwanted pregnancy. This change in practice will reduce pressure on the health system while limiting the unnecessary risk of infection for women, their families and health workers. We now urge Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to introduce similar measures to help protect frontline staff."

Equally on 24th March 2020 when the UK government were failing to allow for home use during covid, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) stated,

“We are disappointed by the Government’s decision not to allow home-use of mifepristone, the first drug used for early medical abortion. This change in practice which the Government announced and later revoked would have enabled women to access care remotely through video and teleconference, with treatment sent by post. This would have reduced pressure on an already overwhelmed health system, limited risk of coronavirus infection for women, their families and healthcare professionals, while ensuring safe and timely access to abortion care.”

We appreciate your concern for the safety of women and pregnant people needing abortions. We want everyone to have access to free, safe, legal, and local abortion care should they want or need it. Therefore we have asked both the NIO and DoH for all services, as mandated by law, to be provided to people in NI through our Health Service. These services should include home use, as recommended by the World Health Organisation, and telemedicine as in place across GB. We urgently need the DoH to commission services in line with the regulations, fulfilling their legal duty, as well as a public awareness campaign and training for healthcare professionals. Until the government does their job, Alliance for Choice will continue to share international best practice guidance and support those who need to access abortion.

Kind Regards
Emma Campbell & Naomi Connor

---

Wow - quite a reply! Received, many thanks.
Adam Kula

---

Access to safe abortion is very important to us, as is up to date and accurate reporting on the issue.

thanks Adam

Emma

---

Adam, we also have a statement from Women on Web:

In the last thirty years since unsafe abortion was defined, evidence has evolved and new technologies such as vacuum aspiration and medical abortion, have changed the terms and conditions of abortion care provision. Today, the World Health Organization affirms that individuals can self manage their abortions up until 13 weeks and recommends telemedicine abortion services to be expanded to ensure access to abortion. WHO suggests that self-management of medical abortion is non-invasive, cost-effective, acceptable and improves autonomy. The international community, including WHO, as a result has actually moved away from a dichotomous division of safety when it comes to abortion care, to a more three-tiered classification (safe, less safe, and least safe) to better capture the spectrum of varying situations and experiences individuals face on the ground.
The 15 years of service and experience of Women on Web epitomizes this progress and testifies that individuals can self manage their abortions safely when provided with accurate instructions and information, and supported in case of complications. - Hazal Atay, Women on Web
Emma Campbell

---

Good stuff - it's good to get comment to balance things out where possible, but this is a whopping lot of text! I'll include what space allows. Best,
Adam Kula

---

well then at least you have plenty of medical evidence-based quotes to choose from!
Emma

Also thought it would be significant for you to know that Pakistan offers the services our Health Department won't. 

PAKISTAN – Training in telehealth

 by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion |  posted in: Asia, News, Newsletter, Pakistan, Uncategorised |  0

With physical access to health facilities in Pakistan severely limited by the country’s rapidly growing number of Covid-19 cases, providing women and girls an alternative way to get reproductive health counseling and information “is the need of the hour,” says Ghulam Shabbir Awan, director of Ipas Pakistan.

A new telehealth initiative is helping meet that need. The project is a joint effort by Ipas Pakistan, provincial departments of health and  Sehat Kahani Pakistan, a non-governmental organization working to improve low-income people’s access to quality health care. To date, 22 private- and public-sector health professionals have received three days of online training that has equipped them to provide telehealth consultations with women and girls in need of medical abortion, abortion self-care or post-abortion contraception.

In addition, Ipas-trained lady health workers (LHWs) are reaching out to women and girls to make them aware that telehealth consultations are available and free of charge during the COVID-19 crisis. Seventy-eight lady health workers have been trained on how to access the telehealth services and they, in turn, are helping women and girls access the services by smartphones.

SOURCE: Ipas, 22 July 2020

Emma Campbell

Abortion in Contemporary Literature

Abortion rights and reading have long been my “hobbies”. Since lockdown and not going out to talk to strangers about abortion, I’ve been reading a lot. Abortion doesn’t appear as a plot point that often, but when it does it can completely change how I feel about a novel. None of the novels below are about abortion and I’m fixating on minor plot points really, but do be aware if you don’t want spoilers then please don’t read ahead. If you can think of more please get in touch. I won’t be going outside, so I can read!

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of the best depictions of abortion in fiction. I would have enjoyed more of Camilla and Karen’s friendship overall but Camilla going with Karen for her abortion and supporting her when her partner won’t shows the need for female friendships. It showed the male entitlement: he wanted a baby, why would she deny him this? And it is one of the few novels that addresses that pregnancy is not just you get a bit bigger and then there’s a baby. Karen points out that it will impact her work: how can she be in a touring band while pregnant? 

Abortion is a sin and leads to punishment in Discomfort of Evening. This is a Dutch novel and I think that changes the tone than say an Irish novel coming out with the same idea. The abortion is barely noticeable in this novel of a family dealing with grief following the death of their eldest son. The incest, peadophilia and animal abuse are much more prominent. That the mother feels she is being punished is derided by the child narrator. The word abortion never used but her mother’s religious beliefs are not to be trusted. 

I read Oh My God What A Complete Aisling last year because it was 99p on Kindle and I thought it was a light read. It was not. I got one of the best depictions of living under the eighth amendment and why the Repeal campaign was so important. It looked at how long the fight was going on for, how the conversations in rural areas were so important and that the access involved more than just getting on a plane to England. It covered who it impacted, why it needed to change and showed various ways to campaign. The two authors were both vocal about getting the law changed and I think continue to support ARC as the fight isn’t yet over. 

Another recent Irish novel with a abortion and the lack of it: Lisa McInerney’s The Glorious Heresies. The story is one of a large cast of characters and how their lives are all entwined. Travelling to England for an abortion is just one small sub plot but was just matter of fact. 

Marian Keyes has a long history of Irish women “getting the boat”. Her novels are a great way to look at how abortion was treated in Ireland. Her 2018 novel The Break had every interview for its promotion talking about the abortion because of the year of release. But Keyes wasn’t just jumping on the bandwagon trying to make the novel relevant. There are lines in earlier books about women travelling, it’s plot points and character reveals. 

Maggie O’Farrell deals with abortion regret with great nuance and subtlety inInstructions for a Heatwave. It uses the same language as Expectation (“my baby would be three”) but it doesn’t just leave her crying and then moving on. We go back to her as a person who doesn’t want children. We get that the abortion changed her relationship with her husband and her sister. The regret isn’t the abortion, it’s how it changed those relationships. O’Farrell is described as British-Irish and her characters in Instructions are second generation Irish in England. I think that the Irish and Northern Irish experience of abortion meant this was more sympathetic than Expectation. 

I was so disappointed in Expectation. I can’t say if it is abortion regret or if it is reflection. Sometimes that sort of ambiguity is a strength in a novel and it’s good that we don’t know, but as we know the other two main characters' feelings about having a baby it felt like it was unclear. Maybe I’m being unfair and it is good literature because women don’t always have clear feelings about their abortions but when a novel has so much about pregnancy, yearning for pregnancy, a shot gun wedding for a pregnant character; the feelings on abortion should either be clearer or written better. I thought this was an English novel for an English audience and when I look at how abortion is presented through that lens it angers me less. That it was an option to be accessed readily and easily. To not require more than a couple of sentences. To be a throwaway line. 

Abortion in Irish literature has almost become a tick box for a modern novel. Sally Rooney discusses the Eighth Amendment in both Conversations with Friends and Normal People. In neither novel is it a pivotal plot point but is to give insight into the characters minds and politics. Naoise Dolan’s Exciting Times is much the same: her abortion fund pays for her to move to Hong Kong. Thankfully the character did not have a crisis pregnancy as an abortion in Hong Kong costs a lot. 

As I stare at my bookshelves I see many memoirs where people talk about abortion as a relief. I see American novels that talk about supporting Planned Parenthood without a crisis pregnancy in the story. I look forward to the days when abortion in Ireland is a thing for historical fiction. I can’t wait for abortion to be so normal in Northern Ireland that I don’t fixate on two lines in a novel. But until then, I will keep complaining and keep campaigning. 

Responding to the MLAs contributions to Matter Abortion Regulations 31/03/2020

Responding to the MLAs contributions to Matter Abortion Regulations 31/03/2020

https://niassembly.tv/matter-of-the-day-abortion-regulations-tuesday-31-march-2020/

Mr Allister

Mr Allister suggested people have abortions on a ‘whim’ this is insulting to people who chose to have an abortion, and does not reflect the reality of certifications being required. Mr Allister said abortion would be uncontrolled ‘up to 12 weeks’ this is untrue, abortions must be certified by one doctor up to 12 weeks and currently the first set of pills must be taken under supervision. Mr Allister then alleged there would be abortion ‘effectively on demand’ up to 24 weeks. Again this is incorrect, after 12 weeks 2 healthcare professionals must certify that the criteria are met, namely that continuing the pregnancy would be a greater risk to the health of the pregnant person than termination.

Mr Allister commented that 79% of responses to the recent consultation were opposed to any change – From the NIOs own report 66% of those responses were linked to a single campaign. None of the professional medical bodies opposed abortion law reform.

Mr Allister then raised that the Assembly was not consulted. MLAs had the same opportunity to respond to the consultation as anyone else. This is a human rights matter, and therefore stays in the remit of Westminster.

Mr Givan

Mr Givan also raised the 79% response figure which we have already addressed. It is worth noting that reposes opposing any change were ruled out of scope.

Mr Givan suggested that abortion up to 24 weeks for any reason, we have already shown this is not the case under the regulations. Mr Givan then stated that abortion to term for disability was permitted. This is incorrect. Abortion after 24 weeks, around 2% of all abortions in worldwide figures, would only be permitted for severe foetal impairment or risk to life and health of the pregnant person. Disability is not a permitted reason.  

Mr Givan suggests’ that a ‘fine’ is not a serious enough penalty for healthcare professionals acting outside the regulations. This is not simply a fine, but a criminal conviction likely to lead to being struck off. It is intended to be a punitive measure, and we oppose any criminalisation of abortion. We would again state that Human Rights are not a solely devolved matter. Westminster had the power and duty to legislate. 

Mr Givan suggests his views are in line with the ‘will of the people’. The NI Life and Times Survey show this is he is mistaken the vast majority support abortion law reform, the 1000s who have travel for abortion also show that this attitude is nothing more than NIMBYism.

Mr Frew

Mr Frew again mentioned the 79% response figure, which we have addressed above, this is mainly from one coordinated anti choice campaign. These responses were not ignored, they simply did not engage with the questions at play.

Mr Frew suggests that he will try and reverse the introduction of regulations. This would be a breach of the Human Rights of those who need abortions. These regulations have been introduced by Westminster legislation, as the body responsible for upholding human rights. It is not in Stormont’s gift to overturn the primary legislation which repealed Section 58 and 58 of the 1981 Offences Against the Person Act.

Mr Frew says he does not want disabled people to fear for their lives – we are not sure why he thinks abortion regulations would make disabled people fear for their lives.

Mr Frew suggests that people were content with NI having a different law than in GB. If this was the case why did 1000 people a year travel to England for abortions they supposedly disagreed with?

Dr Archibald

Dr Archibald spoke broadly in favour of the regulations, saying there is no way to compassionately legislate for access where pregnancy is a result of rape, this is why a 12 week unrestricted period is introduced. We agree with the spirit of this point however we know that many people pregnant as a result of a sex crime, particularly adolescents, are likely to delay seeking an abortion, and are more likely to even be aware that they are pregnant until later term. 12 weeks is not long enough for them.

Mr O’Toole

Mr O’Toole also spoke broadly in favour of the regulations. He said now NI is a place where abortion can be access on par with the Rest of the UK and Ireland. Unfortunately this is incorrect as both jurisdictions have introduced telemedicine and home use of both sets of abortion pills, NI still has not. 

Mr O’Toole said this was a step forward for women and girls, we agree and would add this is a step forward for anyone who can get pregnant.

Mr Butler

Mr Butler says it is important to consider the views of parents, particularly women – we would remind him that the majority of people who have an abortion are already parents. He suggests there needs to be sympathy for instances of fatal foetal abnormality, rape and incest. We agree, the UN CEDAW committee has called for action on specifically these circumstances, but sympathy without material action is pointless in these situations. As previously highlighted there is no way to compassionately, or ‘sympathetically’ legislate for pregnancies resulting from a sexual crime.

Mr Butler says the consultation was not adhered to – we have dealt with this previously, responses demanding no change to the law were not in the scope of the consultation.

Mr Butler, we would argue that denying care is ‘draconian’, not the regulations.
Mr Butler brings up that this is an issue for all sides of the community – it is, there is no significant difference in the number of people seeking an abortion from any one community background. 1 in 3 women worldwide will have an abortion, from all walks of life.    

Again we will remind the MLA that abortion for disability is not a permitted reason for an abortion under the regulations.

Mr Butler mentions Conscientious Objection – the regulations allow for conscientious objection on the same grounds as in GB. 

Mr Muir

Mr Muir spoke broadly in support of the regulations, noting that the Assembly had a chance to make legislation permitting abortion on more limited grounds and didn’t. Mr Muir also highlight the need for home use, which is particularly needed because of the current COVID 19 restrictions. We agree that the inability to travel has already cause real difficulties for people, none more evident that the attempted suicide of someone denied an abortion in NI and unable to travel to England.

Ms Bailey

Ms Bailey spoke broadly in support of the regulations. She noted that while there is access for many up to 12 weeks, there are still many barriers to be addressed. Ms Bailey called for the Health Minister to introduce telemedicine similar to measures in England, noting that abortion pills are on the WHO essential medicines list. She also pointed out that telemedicine protects health workers during this pandemic.

Ms Bailey said the green party ‘do not think it should ever have been a criminal matter, and we believe that any woman should be able to access an abortion as early as possible and as late as necessary.’ And we agree with this position.

Ms Bailey also mentioned the tragic situation brought to light on Monday.

Mr Carroll

Mr Carroll spoke about the reality of denying abortion care, that of the woman who tried to take her own life when unable to travel and refused care locally. We agree with Mr Carroll that  ‘abortion is fundamentally a healthcare issue. It is not a criminal issue’ however we must point out that unfortunately there is still a criminal sanction for healthcare professionals who act outside the regulations, which will likely lead to unnecessary bureaucracy for medical staff to ‘prove’ they were acting in good faith.

Mr Carroll is right that not everyone in served by the new regulations, including people in domestic violence situations and rural areas. He also called for telemedicine and home use of abortion pills, referencing WHO guidance that abortion pills are safe.

Mr Caroll points out that the NI Life and Times survey, previously referred to in our rebuttal, consistently shows support for choice and abortion law reform. 

Mr Lunn

Mr Lunn welcomed the regulations with some reservations. He particularly welcomed the 12 weeks unrestricted period as a way of providing services for people pregnant as a result of rape. Mr Lunn took issue with one element of the regulations, that of abortion for severe foetal impairment saying this was ‘immoral’. In response we would say that this wording allows for healthcare professionals to use their knowledge and expertise in helping people make an informed choice. The wording of fatal foetal abnormality is too restrictive. 

Mr Buckly said this issue transcends party lines. Indeed in there are supporters of change who have spoken publicly in every NIA party, except the DUP and TUV. Likewise the need for abortion care is not restirced to community background.

Mr Buckly rolls out the debunked idea that 100,000 people are alive in NI because of the restrictive abortion law. We ask what about the hundreds of thousands who are documented as having travelled for abortion, and the unknow numbers using abortion pills bought online or more dangerous methods?  Mr Buckly suggests he values life from beginning to end, does he value the life of the person who tried to take their own life on Monday because they were refused an abortion? Does he value the lives of the 1 in 3 women who will have an abortion?

Mr Buckly talks about protection of the most vulnerable, does this include the 12 year old who travelled for an abortion under a police escort pregnant as a result of rape by a family member?

Mr Buckly ends with a threat that the DUP will take action to roll back the regulations.