UK Baroness calls to end Pills by Post, says she stands for both “women and unborn babies”

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A Baroness in the UK has called to end the Pills by Post scheme, a scheme that has proven to be harmful to women, whilst politicians in the UK are currently debating on the decriminalisation of abortion. 

The Pills by Post scheme was introduced in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way of offering abortion to women without having to present into a clinic during lockdowns. However, such a scheme has been regularly criticised by the pro-life movement as the provision of abortion pills without an in-person consultation increases the risks of complications arising, thus putting the lives of these women at greater risk. 

This concern was later supported by an investigation back in 2022 that found a 64% increase in 999 calls in the UK for abortion pill related issues since the Pills by Post scheme was introduced.

Earlier this year, the House of Commons voted to decriminalise abortion after voting in favour of an amendment to a Crime and Policing Bill after just 46 minutes of debate, and is currently being debated in the House of Lords. The amendment sought to prevent women from being prosecuted for obtaining an abortion beyond the legal limit, but still made it illegal for abortion providers to provide abortions to women. 

In light of this, Baroness Phillipa Stroud, who is also a Peer in the House of Lords, has proposed an amendment to end the Pills by Post scheme and to reinstate in-person appointments, saying that she is “standing up for the rights of both women and unborn babies.”

“I, along with others, warned of the dangers of this scheme at the time. Now, we can see that those warnings proved prescient,” she said in an article published by Premier Christianity. 

“The pills by post scheme puts women at risk in at least three different ways,” she continues. “Firstly, it heightens the risk of coercion. Sadly, women - particularly those who may be victims of abuse or trafficking - are sometimes coerced into abortions. In-person appointments, which until 2020 were mandatory before an abortion could take place, create a confidential environment in which a clinician can check whether a woman really does wish to go ahead with an abortion. This means coercion or abuse is more likely to be detected. Without these meetings, it is possible that coercion goes undetected.”

“Secondly, in-person appointments enable relevant health risks to be assessed. Despite the assertions of the abortion lobby, abortion is not always safe for women. Freedom of Information requests suggest that 1 in 17 women who receive abortion pills by post end up in hospital. The risk of complications is heightened for some women with pre-existing conditions, but these are less likely to be picked up via a phone call than during an in-person consultation.”

“Thirdly, the scheme prevents a reliable gestational age check from taking place. A government review in 2023 found that the chances of complications greatly increase later in pregnancy. If women are able to obtain abortion pills past the ten-week limit for at-home abortions - and even past the 24-week statutory time limit for abortions (which, notably, is double the average twelve-week limit in most other European Union countries), this puts their health - and even their lives - gravely at risk.”

She references a recent poll by Whitestone Insight who found that two thirds of women are in favour of reinstating in-person consultations as opposed to only 4% who are in favour of keeping the status quo.

“Our current abortion laws and practices fail women as well as unborn babies. The House of Lords has an opportunity to put women’s welfare first and to prevent our already radical abortion laws becoming even more extreme. If we do so, we will be sending the important message that both lives truly matter,” she concludes.

Ireland also introduced a scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow for women to obtain abortion pills without an in-person consultation. However, back in 2023, the Department of Health made this scheme permanent despite the concerns and risks to women that come with the absence of obtaining these pills without seeing a doctor prior. 

Sandra Parda of the Life Institute commented, saying: “Bravo to Baroness Stroud for bringing to light the serious concerns and risks that come with a Pills by Post scheme. It should make sense to everyone that without an in-person doctor visit, it is much easier to miss any potential complications the mother could experience if she were to take the abortion pill - for instance, missing an ectopic pregnancy.”

“When the UK and Ireland introduced the Pills by Post schemes, it was clear it was all about ensuring that women could still obtain abortions without any thought or regard to the safety of these women. Once again this just shows the narrative of what the pro-abortion side really is: abortion at all costs, including the lives of women. Women deserve better than this.”