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Some women in countries where abortion is restricted are using the internet to buy medication enabling them to abort a pregnancy at home, the BBC has learned. Women in Northern Ireland and over 70 countries with restrictions have used one of the main websites, Women on Web.
A British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology review of 400 customers found nearly 11% had needed a surgical procedure after taking the medication.
The website says it can help reduce the problems linked with unsafe abortions.
'Stressful experience'
But anti-abortion campaigners called the development of such sites "very worrying indeed".
The research into those who had used Women on Web found that about 8% did not end up using the medication they had ordered.
Almost 11% went on to need a surgical procedure - either because the drugs had not completed the abortion or because of excessive bleeding.
I think it's very important women have this resource to turn to in that situation
Women on Web customer
Almost 200 women answered questions about their experiences - 58% said they were just grateful to have been able to have had an abortion in this way, while 31% had felt stressed but found the experience acceptable.
Women on Web posts the drugs only to countries where abortion is heavily restricted, and to women who declare they are less than nine weeks' pregnant.
A US woman, who has a rare medical complication meaning pregnancy is life-threatening to her, described her experience when she used the website while in Thailand.
"Women on Web kept in contact with me via e-mail. The medication arrived through Customs, properly blister-packed, with complete paperwork and a doctor's signature.
"Medication from other websites came in unmarked bottles with no instructions or paperwork - it was quite frightening.
"I was not very far along - only three or four weeks. It went smoothly for me.
"I think it's very important women have this resource to turn to in that situation - and they can need it for a number of reasons."
'Reputable site'
The Family Planning Association in Northern Ireland has had several calls from women considering buying abortion pills online.
ABORTION IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland was not included in the 1967 Abortion Act, which liberalised access to termination on the mainland.
At present a woman is generally given an abortion if she has a serious medical or psychological problem that endangers her life if she continues with her pregnancy, has severe learning difficulties, or if doctors detect foetal abnormalities.
Social abortions are less easily accessible, although critics say the law lacks clarity.
The FPA said that on two occasions, women bought drugs without appropriate medical information. They experienced complications and needed aftercare.
Northern Ireland FPA director Audrey Simpson said: "The Women On Web site is very helpful and reputable.
"But for Northern Ireland women, it is encouraging them to break the law - and as an organisation, we have to work within the law.
"We're really concerned about women accessing the rogue sites - we're hearing about it and we know it's happening.
"There are potentially serious medical complications for women from sites which aren't well managed and this could be the new era of backstreet abortions."
Anti-abortion campaigners said they were appalled by such websites.
Josephine Quintavalle, from the group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: "This is very worrying indeed. It represents further trivialisation of the value of the unborn child.
"It's like taking abortion into the shadows. These drugs have side-effects and tragedies will increase."
Women should have the right to decide on something that is inside their own body until it is actually born. I know it's controvertial but I would allow all abortions up to 7 or 8 months if that's what they're sure they want and they pay for it.
I'm still pro choice, I think it's a personal decision. Personally I don't think I'd be able to terminate a 7 or 8 month pregnancy, I got one of those 4D scans for Lucy at 6 months and she looked the same as she does now, even still sleeps in the same position at night Babies born prematurely at 7 or 8 months can survive and have a normal life with todays medical advances, I think anyone wanting to have an abortion should have the sense to get it done before then, it's only more traumatic at that stage because you actually have to go through labour / caesarean to get it out. Then what happens when you get it out and it's still alive? From that point on it has it's own human rights and you are the parent whether you like it or not. I don't really see many people being up for killing almost full term babies as a job.
Women should have the right to decide on something that is inside their own body until it is actually born. I know it's controvertial but I would allow all abortions up to 7 or 8 months if that's what they're sure they want and they pay for it.
for someone who is against any kind of death penalty that is a pretty barbaric statement if i may say so sir.
you would quite happily have a baby killed but not someone who would shag a baby??
Well the two are totally different, a womans choice to have an abortion and the death penalty on paedophiles cant really be compared can they?
at 7-8 months an abortion is murder as the child has a good survival rate, some claim the death penalty to be murder so yea i think they can be compared.
It's called Child Destruction. The Law states - "Any person who, with intent to destroy the life of a child capable of being born alive, by any wilful act unlawfully causes such child to die before it has an existence independent of its mother shall be guilty of the indictable offence of child destruction.
"Evidence that a woman had at any material time been pregnant for a period of 28 weeks or more shall be prima facie proof that she was at that time pregnant of a child capable of being born."
One of the problems with abortion in this country, is that the system is really old-fashioned. If you want to have an abortion, it's not just as simple as just going and booking an appointment at the ob/gyn clinic. You have to ask your GP if you can have one, and explain your reasons. Then your GP and another doctor have to agree that you can have one, and both have to sign off on it. This is a major flaw in the system. It should be the womans right to decide if she should have an abortion, not the doctors.
You have a lot of doctors with religious and ethical bias, who would outright deny you the procedure, or possibly tell you lies like you are too far along with your pregnancy already to have an abortion, that you aren't entitled to one on the NHS, or start lecturing you about how abortion is murder. It does happen, although infrequently. Others would be professional enough to refer you on to someone who isn't pro-life, however they are not legally obliged to do so. This isn't good enough. You shouldn't have to find and persuade two doctors to let you have an abortion. It's a woman's personal choice.
Even then, there is no law that mandates the NHS to provide abortion services. Funding and too many patients causes delays, which push some people over the legal limit of 24 weeks, and then they are no longer able to have an abortion. Regularly, people have to wait over a month for an abortion. This is just unacceptable imo. Also you must fall into one of the following categories to be considered :
Quote:
Abortion is allowed up to 24 weeks on condition that continuing with the pregnancy involves a greater risk to:
the physical or mental health of the woman, or
the physical or mental health of the woman's existing children than having a termination.
When establishing the level of risk to health, doctors can take into consideration a woman's ‘actual or reasonably foreseeable environment', which includes her personal and social situation. Abortion is also allowed if there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would ‘suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped'.
Abortion is allowed after 24 weeks if there is:
risk to the life of the woman,
evidence of severe fetal abnormality, or
risk of grave physical and mental injury to the woman.
I really don't see why we should make people live with their mistakes when it's as something as life-changing as a child. If people do not want children, or are not in a position to take care of them properly, then they should unequivocally be allowed to terminate the pregnancy. There are too many kids being born into bad situations, and in general, the less people being born the better. The world is under too much pressure as it is already.
Your argument is that babies which have developed normally in utero up to 7 or 8 months have a semi-decent chance of survival if they are not aborted. In intensive care.
So with the likely advances in medical treatment and genetic understanding in the future, it is not outwith the realms of possibility that embryos could one day be nurtured to fruition ex utero, almost from the day of conception.
No doubt your chameleonesque tabloid-inspired morality would then have to change it's flimsy and reactionary stance, to only allow abortions up to 45 minutes after fertilisation or some such arbitrary timescale, thrashed out between religious nutcases, medical experts and ignorant big-mouths, while pregnant women's viewpoints are conspicuous by their absence yet again.
Notice I didn't even have to write 'LOL' like a 12 year old spacker or say 'I know you are, but what am I?'
To be fair, pregnancies are terminated as far along as that, in situations where it is dangerous for the mothers life to continue the pregnancy, and if it is found that the baby would have serious health / mental problems. I wouldn't class it as barbaric. The way I see it, it is more important to protect the life and well being of the mother and those around her, than that something that hasn't even been born yet. That's why I think it should be the mothers decision and responsibility of what to do, as it is her body after all.
To be fair, pregnancies are terminated as far along as that, in situations where it is dangerous for the mothers life to continue the pregnancy, and if it is found that the baby would have serious health / mental problems.
i agree, but those things are usually found out way before 7 months but in that situation then yea you should get rid.
but to terminate a perfectly healthy baby at 7 months is awfull
if your gonna have a termination do it while its still a tadpole not fully developed.
I believe in women's rights as much as the next person, but here's my opinion. Its the women's decision when she decides to shag, her decision when she decides whether or not to use birth control, her decision on anything else... up until the point she becomes pregnant. Of course when the mother's life is in serious danger abortion is a sad but often unavoidable conclusion. But if the women merely errr.... gets around, then adoption is the only option. If the guy doesn't stick around then he is obviously a horrible person, but abortion is not an option in these situations. Err... thats about it really.
Agreed with everything up until you said adoption is the only option. Abortions are legal within a certain timeframe, and I still think to ruin an actual life for the sake of a potential life is psycho single-issue politics to the n'th degree.
If you don't agree with abortions, don't have one, but to try and force your own opinion onto other people's real lives is hideous, egotistical, solipsistic and downright rude.
Women should have the right to decide on something that is inside their own body until it is actually born. I know it's controvertial but I would allow all abortions up to 7 or 8 months if that's what they're sure they want and they pay for it.
If you got your lass pregnant by accident would you shoot a baby in the head at birth? No? TBH that is what you are suggesting apart from you're asking a doctor to pull the trigger.
Have you seen what a foetus looks like at that stage? It's not a blob anymore it's human. By week 12 it's heart is beating, from week 13 it can be seen sucking it's thumb. from 23 their eyes can open and close. By 32 (8 months) they can be 17 inches in length and weight 4.5 pounds. At which point is it ok to kill it?
I'm at the opposite end of the scale on this. It's not their bodies that women are making decisions for - it's a new life, albeit not fully independant at that point, and should be cherished not snuffed out.
Why should a child have to pay with it's life for the mistakes of the parents? You get dealt a hand and you deal with it such is life. How many people banged up for manslaughter would like to turn the clock back? 'I only punched him once you honour'. Getting pregnant shouldn't have a get out of jail free at the expense of a child's life. I know this sounds harsh but it's an emotive subject.
Obviously in cases where things like their own health or rape are involved there needs to be understanding and lee-way but on the whole I am strongly against abortion. and it cant just be a question of free will like you say above, who speaks for the little one?
It's a total turn around of what I thought 10 years ago but I guess as life goes on your perspective changes. Mine did anyway.
I believe in women's rights as much as the next person, but here's my opinion. Its the women's decision when she decides to shag, her decision when she decides whether or not to use birth control, her decision on anything else... up until the point she becomes pregnant. Of course when the mother's life is in serious danger abortion is a sad but often unavoidable conclusion. But if the women merely errr.... gets around, then adoption is the only option. If the guy doesn't stick around then he is obviously a horrible person, but abortion is not an option in these situations. Err... thats about it really.
Conerceptoin fails sumtimes thuogh. It hapened to a marryed cuople I know resentley & they maide the chiose to abort cos they dident want a babby yet.
Women 'using web for abortions'
Babies born prematurely at 7 or 8 months can survive and have a normal life with todays medical advances, I think anyone wanting to have an abortion should have the sense to get it done before then, it's only more traumatic at that stage because you actually have to go through labour / caesarean to get it out. Then what happens when you get it out and it's still alive? From that point on it has it's own human rights and you are the parent whether you like it or not. I don't really see many people being up for killing almost full term babies as a job.
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