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We need you! Lobby your MP for the last chance to retain the right to telemedical abortion.

259 replies

JuliaMumsnet · 22/03/2022 09:41

You may have heard that earlier this month in spite of support for the service from BPAS, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of GPs, the Royal College of Midwives, the British Medical Association, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Women’s Aid, Rape Crisis and many other organisations, the Government announced that telemedical abortion will come to an end in England in six months time. This service, which allows women to have a telephone or video consultation with a qualified nurse or midwife and – where eligible – have abortion medication posted to them to use, has been available throughout the pandemic.

Telemedical abortion is a safe, effective, and accessible option for accessing abortion care in the first ten weeks of pregnancy, and means that women who struggle to attend an in-clinic appointment - because of a lack of childcare, transport issues, domestic abuse or any other reason - are able to obtain care.

When we asked Mumsnet users in January, nearly 80% of you told us you supported the retention of telemedical abortion. And now, thanks to an amendment by Baroness Liz Sugg, we have one last chance to keep this provision. On March 16th, Baroness Sugg proposed an amendment to the Health and Social Care Bill as it passed through the Lords to keep telemedical abortion in place in England. The amendment passed, which means it now goes back to the House of Commons for another vote (most probably during the w/c 28th March).

The amendment will be a free vote, which means MPs won’t be instructed how to vote by their political party - they will choose themselves whether to vote in favour of or against the amendment, or, to abstain. We know that MPs’ inboxes are filling up with emails from the anti-abortion lobby - and we want to make sure that they understand the strength of feeling amongst women in favour of keeping this provision. So we’re asking Mumsnet users to contact their MP and encourage them to vote in favour of the amendment.

Here’s how you do that:

  1. Find your MP's contact details here.
  2. Write them an email about why you care about this issue, and why you want them to vote for the amendment. You can use the template we have provided below, but if you have time please consider personalising your message - it will make it more effective!
  3. Tweet and tag your MP (and @MumsnetTowers) in some of the graphics on our twitter page with the hashtag #KeepTelemedicalAbortion. You can copy and paste the images. We'll be retweeting!

Let’s mobilise the power of Mumsnet and help retain what has been a real step forward for women’s reproductive rights.

p.s. If you’d like to support our campaigning work, sign up to Mumsnet Premium here. Sign up to the campaigns mailing list here.

TEMPLATE EMAIL
Subject: Please vote FOR retaining telemedical abortion in the Health and Care Bill

Dear [YOUR MP’s NAME]

I’m emailing as your constituent about the upcoming vote in the House of Commons on an amendment by Baroness Liz Sugg to the Health and Care Bill to support the retention of telemedical abortion.

The largest study of telemedical abortion in the world found that telemedicine is safe, effective, and improves care, and in a Mumsnet poll of more than 8,000 users in January 2022, more than 77% of users said they were in favour of retaining this service. Telemedical abortion means that women who struggle to attend an in-clinic appointment - because of a lack of childcare, transport issues, employment or any other reason - are able to obtain safe, timely and effective care. It also provides an accessible way for women in abusive and controlling relationships to access abortion care

Removing the provision of telemedical abortion would be a backwards step for women’s health and reproductive choice. It must be retained. Please vote for Baroness Liz Sugg’s amendment.

Best wishes
[YOUR NAME]

We need you! Lobby your MP for the last chance to retain the right to telemedical abortion.
We need you! Lobby your MP for the last chance to retain the right to telemedical abortion.
We need you! Lobby your MP for the last chance to retain the right to telemedical abortion.
OP posts:
daisyjgrey · 23/03/2022 12:43

@pastypirate

Staggered by the abortion debate on this thread. Abortion is legal in the uk.

Any reduction in access to safe abortion is misogyny.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Mumof3lovelygirls · 23/03/2022 13:12

Just because something is legal doesn't make it the right thing to do. I'm saddened by the opinions on this thread...

pointythings · 23/03/2022 13:23

@Mumof3lovelygirls

Just because something is legal doesn't make it the right thing to do. I'm saddened by the opinions on this thread...
But you're happy to watch women die from unsafe abortions in countries where it is illegal...
RoseslnTheHospital · 23/03/2022 13:24

@pastypirate

Staggered by the abortion debate on this thread. Abortion is legal in the uk.

Any reduction in access to safe abortion is misogyny.

Quite. Thanks for stating it clearly.
TyrannosaurusFlex · 23/03/2022 14:23

@Mumof3lovelygirls

Just because something is legal doesn't make it the right thing to do. I'm saddened by the opinions on this thread...
I’m saddened that you don’t think women should have bodily autonomy.
Notanotherwindow · 23/03/2022 15:02

Absolutely won't be supporting this. It would be fine in a perfect world but as it is its far too open to coercion from abusive partners/family.

whumpthereitis · 23/03/2022 15:26

@Notanotherwindow

Absolutely won't be supporting this. It would be fine in a perfect world but as it is its far too open to coercion from abusive partners/family.
Because abusers never coerce/force women into getting and staying pregnant?

What of the women for whom telemedical abortion is their only access to safe abortion?

RoseslnTheHospital · 23/03/2022 15:37

@Notanotherwindow

Absolutely won't be supporting this. It would be fine in a perfect world but as it is its far too open to coercion from abusive partners/family.
Importantly, there is no evidence that this is the case. Rather all the research shows that it is as safe as face to face appointments and the very large majority of women would prefer this service if they had to use it again.

There is some evidence mentioned up thread that roughly equal numbers of women are coerced into pregnancy against their will as are coerced into an abortion against their will. In fact slightly more who were coerced into pregnancy. There's no evidence that this altered by this telemedicine approach, so why remove a safe successful wanted service for a reason where there is no evidence? All you'll do is definitely make it harder for women to escape a coerced pregnancy.

Notanotherwindow · 23/03/2022 15:47

Two wrongs don't make a right. Why give them another stick to beat their partner with. If this was an option when ny sister was pregnant, my nephew wouldn't exist. Her ex would have forced her to have a termination just out of sheer spite.

pointythings · 23/03/2022 16:01

@Notanotherwindow

Two wrongs don't make a right. Why give them another stick to beat their partner with. If this was an option when ny sister was pregnant, my nephew wouldn't exist. Her ex would have forced her to have a termination just out of sheer spite.
But you think it is acceptable for women in abusive relationships to be forced by their partners to have babies they do not want?
Bananabutter · 23/03/2022 16:02

Absolutely not. The ability to kill life should not be so readily available.

whumpthereitis · 23/03/2022 16:11

@Notanotherwindow

Two wrongs don't make a right. Why give them another stick to beat their partner with. If this was an option when ny sister was pregnant, my nephew wouldn't exist. Her ex would have forced her to have a termination just out of sheer spite.
So the trade off is that it’s absolutely acceptable to remove a lifeline to women in situations where they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to access abortion? Indeed, as someone else pointed out, there are more women in that position than are in your sister’s.

Statistically, the roll out of telemedical abortion has been a success. Women who have actually availed themselves of the service have found it to be beneficial, and those governing bodies in that field have also supported its continuation. What, then, is the objection?

whumpthereitis · 23/03/2022 16:14

@Bananabutter

Absolutely not. The ability to kill life should not be so readily available.
A quick google of ‘buy misoprostal online’ will show you that, like it or not, that particular horse has bolted.

It is better, for the health and safety of women, that they be able to access it via regulated clinics.

pointythings · 23/03/2022 16:16

whumpthereitis it's abortion, is the objection. Abortion is baaaaad, don't you know? Because who cares about actual living women when there are foetuses to be protected?

whumpthereitis · 23/03/2022 16:32

@pointythings

whumpthereitis it's abortion, is the objection. Abortion is baaaaad, don't you know? Because who cares about actual living women when there are foetuses to be protected?
And they always go fucking silent when it’s pointed out that restricting access to abortion actually means women risking injury and death. One of the leading causes of death worldwide for women is complications from illegal abortion. ‘Pro life’ indeed.

As repellent as they are, the ones that come out and say ‘good, they deserve it for having an abortion’ are at least honest.

Screenshot from the WHO: www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion

We need you! Lobby your MP for the last chance to retain the right to telemedical abortion.
Laniania · 23/03/2022 16:41

Sex is a luxury, not a right.

Sex is not a bloody luxury, it is what human bodies do.

pointythings · 23/03/2022 16:44

whumpthereitis you're so right - the forced birthers do not care that women die from unsafe abortions. But they refuse to admit that.

Hotzenplotz · 23/03/2022 16:50

My MP is a clueless halfwit, but I've emailed him anyway.

Haze41 · 23/03/2022 16:59

Not signing. I wanted to say that I am pro choice and have had a termination myself. However. I do think that a termination warrants a face to face conversation with a medical professional. It is a pretty big deal

RoseslnTheHospital · 23/03/2022 17:27

@Haze41

Not signing. I wanted to say that I am pro choice and have had a termination myself. However. I do think that a termination warrants a face to face conversation with a medical professional. It is a pretty big deal
There's nothing to sign, it's asking you to contact your MP to ask them to vote for the amendment in parliament, likely next week.

In terms of a face to face appointment, the women using this service had either a video or phone consult, and a strict pathway was followed to minimise risk to patients. Essentially if there was any doubt about dating or other risks, the patient was told to follow the traditional treatment process which is a scan and an appointment at clinic to take the first dose. Every patient, whichever pathway, took the second dose at home. The extensive trial of over 50,000 women showed that there was absolutely no difference in outcome for those following the telemedicine route, no increase in missed ectopic pregnancies, fewer failed abortions and fewer women needing surgical follow up as a result.

In addition to this, women reported very high levels of acceptability for the treatment. 96% of women were satisfied or very satisfied with their treatment, or rated their treatment as good or very good. 80% said it was their preferred option in future.

At no point in the process was the decision treated as "no big deal". It's not just some flimsy process like filling in a form and getting the drugs posted to you. It's a triaged medical pathway with excellent outcomes for women, slightly better than the traditional route. It is illogical to object to this scheme continuing, if you support the traditional treatment pathway.

Lambkin689 · 23/03/2022 17:40

@IcakethereforeIam

I'm broadly in support of this but I've heard some stories, that are probably bs, about women being bullied into taking the drugs or them being tricked into taking them without their knowledge. I think the 2nd scenario is likely bunk, or very rare, surely there would have been a court case. But the first sounds all too plausible.

Other than that, I'd be happy to write. Though my MP will likely ignore it.

These stories are NOT bs and they are not rare.
Lambkin689 · 23/03/2022 17:41

Freedom of information data has shown that as many as 1-in-17 women taking these abortion pills require hospital treatment. Around half of these require surgical treatment to complete the abortion. This means over 14,000 women have been treated in hospital following the approval of pills-by-post abortion.
Another study has shown that emergency ambulance responses are three times higher for pills-by-post abortion.
A mystery client investigation demonstrated that abortion pills can be obtained using false identities, false gestational age and no NHS registration. This shows that making the pills available by telemedicine is wide open for abuse.
Video footage has shown the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) illegally posting abortion pills to a women who said she wanted to terminate her pregnancy because she didn’t “want to look pregnant on holiday.”
A study has shown that less than 1-in-5 complications following telemedicine abortions are reported. Claims that telemedicine abortions are safe vastly understate the numbers of complications.
Recent polling found that as many as 1-in-20 women aged 18-24 said they had been “given something (tablets / substance) to cause an abortion” without their knowledge or consent. This abuse is clearly much easier with telemedicine abortion.
In answer to a parliamentary question, the government admitted that it has no idea how many pills have not been taken by the woman who requested them or what happened to those pills.
Polling has also shown that 86% of GPs are concerned about the risk of women being coerced into an abortion without an in-person consultation.
Polling showed that 84% of adults in England say they are concerned about women being at risk of being coerced into an abortion without an in-person consultation.
A clear majority (70%) of respondents to the government consultation said that the temporary measure of pills-by-post abortion should end immediately.

daisyjgrey · 23/03/2022 17:46

@Lambkin689

Freedom of information data has shown that as many as 1-in-17 women taking these abortion pills require hospital treatment. Around half of these require surgical treatment to complete the abortion. This means over 14,000 women have been treated in hospital following the approval of pills-by-post abortion. Another study has shown that emergency ambulance responses are three times higher for pills-by-post abortion. A mystery client investigation demonstrated that abortion pills can be obtained using false identities, false gestational age and no NHS registration. This shows that making the pills available by telemedicine is wide open for abuse. Video footage has shown the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) illegally posting abortion pills to a women who said she wanted to terminate her pregnancy because she didn’t “want to look pregnant on holiday.” A study has shown that less than 1-in-5 complications following telemedicine abortions are reported. Claims that telemedicine abortions are safe vastly understate the numbers of complications. Recent polling found that as many as 1-in-20 women aged 18-24 said they had been “given something (tablets / substance) to cause an abortion” without their knowledge or consent. This abuse is clearly much easier with telemedicine abortion. In answer to a parliamentary question, the government admitted that it has no idea how many pills have not been taken by the woman who requested them or what happened to those pills. Polling has also shown that 86% of GPs are concerned about the risk of women being coerced into an abortion without an in-person consultation. Polling showed that 84% of adults in England say they are concerned about women being at risk of being coerced into an abortion without an in-person consultation. A clear majority (70%) of respondents to the government consultation said that the temporary measure of pills-by-post abortion should end immediately.
Studies, reports, videos...no sources though?
RoseslnTheHospital · 23/03/2022 17:50

If you're going to refer to statistics can you please link to your sources, rather than just refer to vague "freedom of information" requests, @Lambkin689 ? Otherwise you're simply posting a whole load of scaremongering nonsense.

In this most recent study, if you follow the link in the OP, you can see in the Outcomes section in Table 2 that of the 29 984 women who followed the telemedicine pathway, only 366 had an unsuccessful abortion and of those 150 had a surgical abortion and 208 had surgery to remove retained products. These numbers are all less both in raw numbers and in percentage than those following the usual route. I cannot see how you can get to 14,000 women having hospital treatment when the numbers are only 358 out of 29 984.

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