Helpline to be launched across Ireland for women who used abortion pills

The new service will extend that helpline to women who have purchased abortion pills online – from non-profit clinics such as Women on the Web or Women Help Women, who the organisation say “provide the same high quality, safe medications to women who are up to 10 weeks pregnant that are provided from BPAS clinics”.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), a charity that supports women seeking abortions, said that it was launching the free service while it waits for politicians “to do the right thing” and legislate for access to abortion in Ireland.

In Northern Ireland the maximum penalty for the crime of administering a drug to induce miscarriage under the Offences Against The Person Act 1861, is life imprisonment. Those unable to travel sometimes resort to breaking the law and ordering pills over the internet.

While Ann Furedi, the head of BPAS, has used the launch to try and pressure the Irish Government to remove the laws in Ireland that protect mothers and their unborn babies, BPAS has also been forced to acknowledge that if required, the helpline can be used to call for an ambulance.

“Groups need to work together to provide the best possible care for women and children within the current law, because both lives matter”.

Bpas reports that women in Ireland are increasingly choosing this option of abortion pills to deal with crisis pregnancy.

The charity said women will be able to “seek reassurance” about medical issues or if pills do not appear to have worked.

For example, counsellors in the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA), which is funded by tax-payers in Ireland and which is affiliated to International Planned Parenthood Federation, were found to be coaching women in Ireland on how to import illegal abortion pills and take them without medical supervision.

Kinga Jelinska, executive director of WHW, added: “Women Help Women welcomes the launch of the BPAS abortion aftercare hotline”.

Abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland – which forms part of the United Kingdom – and the Republic of Ireland.