Title: Buying abortion through the internet: exploring the social harm of criminalising abortion in Northern Ireland and the UK
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council

Abstract: Abortion is still a crime everywhere in the UK, even though it is legal in Scotland, England and Wales when two doctors say it is needed. In Northern Ireland, the law is still as it was in Britain before the 1967 Act. But Northern Irish women still have abortions; if they can afford it, they travel to England and pay privately for a legal abortion. But every year, hundreds of women who cannot afford to go to England buy pills over the internet to cause a miscarriage - what is known as a "medical abortion". These are the same pills that are used in about half the NHS abortions in Britain. This study will talk to women in Northern Ireland who have a medical abortion illegally, and women in Scotland who have it legally through the NHS. The study will find out, through being part of the NI Life and Times Survey, about what public opinion really is on abortion in Northern Ireland, including whether they think women ought to be threatened with prison for taking pills which are available on the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales. We will look at where the "social harm" occurs because of these illegal abortions. Is the social harm caused by the women taking the pills or is it caused by the state that won't allow her to do it legally? As part of the research, a sexual health expert will look at the women's experiences and see what kind of aftercare, advice about contraception etc that the Northern Irish women get, compared with the women in Scotland who got the pills from the NHS. The questions we hope the study will answer are: What are the different experiences of women taking the abortion pill legally on the NHS (in Scotland) and illegally via the internet (in Northern Ireland)? What impact does the illegal nature of such abortions in Northern Ireland have on the sexual and emotional health of the women concerned? What do these different experiences tell us about the 'social harm' surrounding the UK's abortion laws? What is the true state of social attitudes in Northern Ireland in relation to abortion? What would decriminalisation mean for women (and abortion providers) in Northern Ireland and Britain? It can be risky to do research on issues touching on illegality and the issue of abortion is a particularly controversial one but the research team has thought about how it will protect the women who have acted illegally, as well as our research. The study hopes to cast new light on existing policy around abortion in the UK, especially Northern Ireland. It will seek to give policy makers new information on which to base their policies, and evidence which might open a debate about whether the UK, like Canada, should have no criminal laws associated with abortion. The project team will produce more than just a final report. We will write policy briefs aimed at policy makers, the medical profession and women's and voluntary groups at local and national level. We will also send information about what we learn to the United Nations committee that oversees women's rights. Some of the summaries we write will be aimed at the general public and we will present papers at conferences and seminars, and any events to which we are invited.


Research activity codes: 7.1 INDIVIDUAL CARE NEEDS;8.1 ORGANISATION AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES
Health categories: REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND CHILDBIRTH