Home Abortion – Fuelling or Defusing Domestic Abuse?
Dr Trevor Stammers
For many years I worked closely with Merton Women's Aid in London as a GP (family physician); so I have good reason to consider it tragic that the UK Government may enshrine in law the emergency COVID-19 measure, brought in last year, allowing ‘DIY abortion’ – also known as chemical abortion or Pill abortion – at home on request by phone.
In this the woman gets her abortion pills posted out after just a telephone request – a loosening of the law that abortion…
…providers want to make permanent after the COVID-19 crisis is over. They tried this last year in the Domestic Abuse Bill 2020, but wisely parliament refused.
Have your say
Now you can have your say to the government in a chance not to be missed (closing date 26th February 2021 https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/home-use-of-both-pills-for-early-medical-abortion ). Why does your response matter to our communities?
In my long clinical experience, most abusive men tried to coerce women into having an abortion they did not want. Making abortions easier with pills in the post is a real gift to abusers. For instance, they can continue sexual attacks on their partners without taking responsibility for a baby they have fathered. Why does relaxing the pre-Covid home abortion safeguards offer no protection for abused women but rather make their lot worse?
Because coercion is often detected by the professional when its a face to face consultation; there, vulnerable women with coercive partners, can be sure they will not be overheard. Whereas at present, during the pandemic special measures, DIY home abortions – approved by just a telephone call or a video consultation -- can never guarantee that the abuser is not in the room? Perhaps he is just out of camera shot to ensure he gets his way. I lost count of the number of times that women said to me that they had no choice but to have an abortion because they feared for their safety if they didn’t do what he demanded; but once a professional can uncover the truth then proper protection can be arranged for her.
One-half to one-third of women
One of the few published papers exploring coerced abortion in abusive relationships said…
…7 out of 13 women reported coercion to have an abortion [i].
In a much larger US study of 954 women, one third of the participants reported such pressure to abort [ii]. The abusers have an easier time if women are denied the opportunity of a face-to-face consultation where confidentiality and privacy can be assured.
In the coronavirus pandemic, the opportunity for such reproductive coercion is obviously greatly enhanced. As early as April 2020 the rising incidence, up by 25%, of domestic abuse in the UK was known. [iii] This is a serious social problem, which needs tackling by appropriate tightening of the law; whereas making abortion pills available by the post over the phone simply aids and abets abusers rather than protecting the abused.
In summary
Abortion pills by post is not a lifeline for abused women but rather a lifeline for abortion agencies to increase their reach during the Covid crisis and maintain their profits long after coronavirus has passed.
The author
Dr Trevor Stammers is the author of Love Lies Bleeding: When Intimacy Turns to Abuse (Hodder) and was a general practitioner in South London for 27 years. He is an editor, author, speaker, occasional blogger and former Director of the Centre for Bioethics at St Mary's University.
Citations
[i] Hathaway J E, Willis G, Zimmer B, Silverman J G 2005 Impact of partner abuse on women's reproductive lives Journal of the American Women's Medical Association 60 42-45
[ii] Chibber KS et al . 2914 The role of intimate partners in women's reasons for seeking abortion. Women's Health Issues 24:e131–38. doi:10.1016/j.whi.2013.10.007
[iii] Kelly J, Morgan T 2020 Coronavirus: Domestic abuse calls up 25% since lockdown, charity says www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52157620