Editing Abortion in the United Kingdom (section)

==Approved methods==
The methods used for abortion are divided in two categories:<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-09-25 |title=Recommendations {{!}} Abortion care {{!}} Guidance {{!}} NICE |url=https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng140/chapter/Recommendations |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=www.nice.org.uk}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2017-10-18 |title=Abortion - What happens |url=https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/abortion/what-happens/ |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=nhs.uk |language=en}}</ref>

* Medical abortion: carried out by the administration of two pills, one that contains [[mifepristone]] (orally) and 1 to 2 days later another one containing [[misoprostol]] (orally or vaginally).
* Surgical abortion: can be carried out by either 
** Vacuum aspiration: removing the pregnancy with suction done by a tube inserted into the uterus or
** Dilation or evacuation (D&E): removing the pregnancy with instruments called forceps inserted into the uterus.

The provision of different methods is dependent on the stage of the pregnancy and policies. Medical abortions are typically available for up to 12 weeks but can also be used for termination in later stages.<ref name="nhsinform.scot">{{Cite web |title=Abortion |url=https://www.nhsinform.scot/tests-and-treatments/surgical-procedures/abortion/ |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=NHS inform |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Vacuum aspiration is provided up to 14 weeks of pregnancy whereas D&E is provided after 14 weeks of pregnancy.<ref name=":0" /> When pregnancy progresses to after 20 weeks, the procedure becomes more complicated.<ref name="nhsinform.scot"/>

Since [[mifepristone]] was approved for use in Britain in 1991, the use of medical abortion has been on the rise continually and it is now the most commonly used method for abortion, especially for abortions in early pregnancy.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Abortion statistics for England and Wales: January to June 2022 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/abortion-statistics-for-england-and-wales-january-to-june-2022/abortion-statistics-for-england-and-wales-january-to-june-2022 |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref>  In England and Wales, medical abortions accounted for 86% of all abortions from January to June 2022, the majority of which were carried out in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.<ref name="auto"/> In Scotland, 99.4% of all abortions were carried out medically in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Termination of pregnancy statistics - Year ending December 2021 - Termination of pregnancy statistics - Publications - Public Health Scotland |url=https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/termination-of-pregnancy-statistics/termination-of-pregnancy-statistics-year-ending-december-2021/ |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=publichealthscotland.scot}}</ref>

=== Early medical abortion at home ===
In 2011, the [[BPAS]] lost a [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] bid to force the [[Secretary of State for Health|Health Secretary]] to allow women undertaking early medical abortions in England, Scotland and Wales to administer the second dose of drug treatment at home.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Dyer | first1 = C. | doi = 10.1136/bmj.d1045 | title = Ruling prevents women taking second abortion pill at home | journal = BMJ | volume = 342 | pages = d1045 | year = 2011 | pmid = 21321014| s2cid = 37286809 }}</ref> However, this decision was later reversed in 2019, permitting women to take both pills at home up to 10 weeks gestation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-confirms-plans-to-approve-the-home-use-of-early-abortion-pills|title=Government confirms plans to approve the home-use of early abortion pills|website=GOV.UK}}</ref> The temporary changes were also linked to an increase in abortions during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 pandemic]]'s first year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-11 |title=Abortions in England and Wales reach record high |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/11/abortions-in-england-and-wales-reach-record-high |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> An evaluation of this service showed that it was safe and effective, with shorter waiting times, and preferred by those who had gone through it.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Glasier |first1=A |last2=Regan |first2=L |title=Induced abortion via telemedicine should become the norm: a commentary |journal=BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology |date=August 2021 |volume=128 |issue=9 |pages=1475–1476 |doi=10.1111/1471-0528.16740 |pmid=33982401 |url=https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.16740. |issn=1470-0328|hdl=10044/1/89621 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

On 24 February 2022, the Department of Health announced that the "pills at home" scheme was going to be scrapped in England.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-24 |title=England abortion 'pills by post' scheme to be scrapped in September |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/24/england-abortion-pill-by-post-scheme-scrapped-september-change-law-covid-pandemic |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> At the same time, Wales has announced that they intend to make the scheme permanent.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-02-24 |title=Early at-home abortions made permanent in Wales |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-60508114 |access-date=2022-02-28}}</ref> Before deciding whether or not to make the scheme permanent, all three countries in the United Kingdom held a public consultation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home use of both pills for early medical abortion (EMA) up to 10 weeks gestation: summary of consultation responses |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/home-use-of-both-pills-for-early-medical-abortion/outcome/home-use-of-both-pills-for-early-medical-abortion-ema-up-to-10-weeks-gestation-summary-of-consultation-responses |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=GOV.UK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Early medical abortion at home - future arrangements: consultation analysis |url=http://www.gov.scot/publications/future-arrangements-early-medical-abortion-home-consultation-analysis/ |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=www.gov.scot}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Consultation outcome: Termination of pregnancy arrangements in Wales |url=https://gov.wales/termination-pregnancy-arrangements-wales |access-date=2022-04-11 |website=www.gov.wales|date=29 September 2021 }}</ref> MPs later voted to amend the [[Health and Care Act 2022|Health and Care Bill 2022]] to make the scheme permanent, allowing telemedical abortion care up to the tenth week of pregnancy.<ref name=":2" />

On 12 June 2023, a woman was sentenced to over two years in prison for inducing an abortion after the legal limit through the "pills by post" scheme by misleading the BPAS and falsely saying she was below the 10 week cutoff (she was believed to be 28 weeks pregnant at the time).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Tobi |title=Outrage at jail sentence for woman who took abortion pills later than UK limit |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/12/woman-in-uk-jailed-for-28-months-over-taking-abortion-pills-after-legal-time-limit |access-date=20 July 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=12 June 2023}}</ref> This was later reduced to 14 months suspended sentence after being sent to the [[Court of Appeal (England and Wales)|Court of Appeal]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Woman who took abortion pills beyond UK limit to be released |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/18/uk-court-to-release-jailed-woman-who-obtained-abortion-pills |access-date=20 July 2023 |work=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]] |date=18 July 2023}}</ref> This led to a number of abortion-rights advocates, women's-rights groups, politicians and medics to call on the British government to reform its abortion laws.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Topping |first1=Alexandra |title=Judge's reduction of sentence for abortion shows how law must change, say campaigners |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/18/judges-reduction-of-sentence-for-abortion-shows-how-law-must-change-say-campaigners |access-date=20 July 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=18 July 2023}}</ref>