Abortion decriminalised in Northern Ireland

Aiken, Abigail R.A.; Bloomer, Fiona

doi:10.1136/bmj.l6330

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Abortion in Northern Ireland became decriminalised in October 2019 following a lengthy campaign, court cases, and international and national inquiries, [1]. Specifically, the decriminalisation of abortion as set out in the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation Etc) Act 2019, formed part of the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (UN CEDAW) inquiry into abortion access published in 2018, [2][3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Northern Ireland, prior to October 2019, the criminalisation of abortion coupled with stigmatisation had resulted in an average of 1000 women / pregnant people per year travelling to other jurisdictions in the UK to access abortion services, hundreds aborting at home after self-medication, with less than 20 abortions per year being carried out within Northern Ireland under the restrictive law, [5][6][7]. Pre-decriminalisation, abortion was permitted when the woman's long-term health and well-being, or her life, was at risk; these abortions were carried out by doctors in hospital settings or within a Marie Stopes clinic, [1,5]. Post-decriminalisation, the Abortion Regulations, allowed for abortion without restriction up until 12 weeks of gestation, with conditions thereafter.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pre-decriminalisation, illegal abortions were accessed via online providers of telemedicine abortion. The exact extent of this is unknown, but is estimated to be several hundred per year, [1,7]. Post-decriminalisation, these services have continued for those who are unable to travel to a SRH clinic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Abortion provision in Northern Ireland: the views of health professionals working in obstetrics and gynaecology units

Bloomer

Kavanagh

Morgan

et al. 2021

BMJ Sex Reprod Health

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IntroductionAbortion became decriminalised in Northern Ireland in October 2019. Until that point there existed no evidence concerning the views of health professionals on decriminalisation or on their willingness to be involved in abortion care. The purpose of this study was to address this lack of evidence, including all categories of health professionals working in obstetrics and gynaecology units in Northern Ireland.MethodsThe online survey was targeted at medical, nursing and midwifery staff working in the obstetrics and gynaecology units in each Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust in Northern Ireland. The survey was issued via clinical directors in each Trust using the REDCap platform.ResultsThe findings showed widespread support for decriminalisation of abortion up until 24 weeks’ gestation (n=169, 54%). The majority of clinicians stated they were willing to provide abortions in certain circumstances (which were undefined) (n=188, 60% medical abortions; n=157, 50% surgical abortions). Despite regional variation, the results show that there are sufficient numbers of clinicians to provide a service within each HSC Trust. The results indicate that many clinicians who report a religious affiliation are also supportive of decriminalisation (n=46, 51% Catholic; n=53, 45% Protestant) and are willing to provide care, countering the assumption that those of faith would all raise conscientious objections to service provision.ConclusionsThe findings of this study are very encouraging for the development, implementation and delivery of local abortion care within HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland and should be of value in informing commissioners and providers about the design of a service model and its underpinning training programmes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Abortion provision in Northern Ireland: the views of health professionals working in obstetrics and gynaecology units

Bloomer

Kavanagh

Morgan

et al. 2021

BMJ Sex Reprod Health

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“…In the United Kingdom (UK) there is currently heightened interest in abortion rights, driven in part by recent liberalisation in neighbouring Republic of Ireland [7] and, as of October 2019, decriminalisation in Northern Ireland [8] (a UK jurisdiction in which access to abortion has until now remained severely restricted), and the Isle of Man [9]. Organisations currently backing a UK-wide campaign for full decriminalisation include the Royal Colleges of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, General Practitioners, and Midwives [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Normalising abortion: what role can health professionals play?

Maxwell

Hoggart

Bloomer

et al. 2020

BMJ Sex Reprod Health

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BackgroundDespite being a common gynaecological procedure, abortion continues to be widely stigmatised. The research and medical communities are increasingly considering ways of reducing stigma, and health professionals have a role to play in normalising abortion as part of routine sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH). We sought to investigate how health professionals may normalise abortion and challenge prevailing negative sociocultural narratives.MethodsAs part of the Sexuality and Abortion Stigma Study (SASS), qualitative secondary analysis was conducted on two datasets containing health professionals’ accounts of providing abortion in Scotland and England. A subsample of 20 interviews were subjected to in-depth, thematic analysis.ResultsFour key themes were identified in heath professionals’ accounts: (1) encountering resistance to abortion from others working in SRH; (2) contending with prevailing negative sociocultural narratives of abortion; (3) enacting overt positivity towards abortion provision; and (4) presenting abortion as part of normal, routine healthcare.ConclusionsIt is clear that negative attitudes toward abortion persist both inside and outside of healthcare systems, and need to be challenged in order to destigmatise those accessing and providing services. Health professionals can play a key role in normalising abortion, through the ways in which they frame their work and present abortion to women they treat, and others more widely. Our analysis suggests a key way to achieve this is by presenting abortion as part of normal, routine SRH, but that appropriate support and structural change are essential for normalisation to become embedded.

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“…It would require a significant shift in the current cultural and international trajectory of abortion legislation. This trajectory is evidenced by the trend towards decriminalising abortion, most recently in Northern Ireland in 2019 (Aiken and Bloomer 2019), and expanding the legally permitted grounds for abortion (Guillaume and Rossier 2018). In other words, international trends appear to be moving towards broadening abortion access, not restricting it in ways that would be required were ectogestation to become available.…”

Section: Adoption Harm and Stigmamentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Ectogestation Is Unlikely to Transform the Abortion Debate: a Discussion of ‘Ectogestation and the Problem of Abortion’

Cooper

2020

Philos. Technol.

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In this commentary, I will consider the implications of the argument made by Christopher Stratman (2020) in ‘Ectogestation and the Problem of Abortion’. Clearly, the possibility of ectogestation will have some effect on the ethical debate on abortion. However, I have become increasingly sceptical that the possibility of ectogestation will transform the problem of abortion. Here, I outline some of my reasons to justify this scepticism. First, I argue that virtually everything we already know about unintended pregnancies, abortion and adoption does not prima facie support the assumption that a large shift to ectogestation would occur. Moreover, if ectogestation does not lead to significant restrictions to abortion, then there will be no radical transformation of the practice of abortion. Second, abortion is already associated with stigma, and so the presence of ectogestation would need to create additional stigma to modify behaviour. Finally, I argue that ectogestation shifts the debate away from the foetus to the human subject of the artificial womb—the gestateling, therefore creating a new category of killing—gestaticide. However, this would only reorient the debate rather than end it.

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Abortion decriminalised in Northern Ireland

Abstract: People and policy makers must now design a truly patient centred service

Cited by 10 publications

References 11 publications

Abortion provision in Northern Ireland: the views of health professionals working in obstetrics and gynaecology units

Abortion provision in Northern Ireland: the views of health professionals working in obstetrics and gynaecology units

Normalising abortion: what role can health professionals play?

Why Ectogestation Is Unlikely to Transform the Abortion Debate: a Discussion of ‘Ectogestation and the Problem of Abortion’

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