Scottish women will be authorised to abort “at home” after taking the first pill. This situation, which already exists in Sweden and France, is a first for Great Britain.
Medical abortion involves taking two different pills, namely Mifepristone and Misoprostol. The first pill blocks the action of progesterone – the hormone involved in maintaining pregnancy. The second pill is taken on the same day or within 72 hours of the first [to trigger contractions]. It will be dispensed in a medical context but, from now on, can be taken directly in the patient’s home “where clinically appropriate“, to offset “a worrying situation“: women “often suffer heavy bleeding generally on the way home from the clinic“.
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which “has been putting pressure (on the government)” for years to develop legislation in this direction, welcomes the change. But the General Manager of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, John Deighan, announced: “In reality, it’s a return to the era of backstreet abortions (…) Many vulnerable women who may be desperate about the situation they are in” will be given the pills and “sent home to stop being a problem for society“.
In 2016, 12,063 abortions were performed in Scotland, 73.5% before the ninth week of pregnancy. In 89.4% of cases, these were medical abortions.
The Scotsman, Tom Peterkin (26/10/2017) ; BBC, Lucy Adams (26/10/2017)