Abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland in October 2019 but the battle for access to services is far from won. Northern Ireland is currently the ONLY part of the UK and Ireland that has does not provide an abortion telemedicine service for women and pregnant people. As part of their #16DaysofActivism campaign, Alliance for Choice has recorded the video below to explain why telemedicine is so needed in Northern Ireland.
Alliance for Choice believes telemedicine as mutual aid helps prevent violence against women, girls and pregnant people. In the midst of a global pandemic, telemedicine emerged as a key way to sustain essential reproductive healthcare services. It protects women, pregnant people and healthcare workers from contracting Covid-19.
Beyond the pandemic, telemedicine can help accommodate people who can’t travel to clinics for geographical reasons, as well as people with limited financial and transport means, people who have working and caring responsibilities, asylum seekers and migrants without travel documents and people in situations where coercive control and domestic violence are prevalent.
10 ways telemedicine can help survivors
Intimate partner violence is a risk factor for unintended pregnancy and abortion. Telemedicine with pills is safe and rarely has complications.
Domestic abuse prevents access to legal services. Women and pregnant people in NI need access to NHS pills by Post.
Over a third of domestic violence cases start or worsen when someone is pregnant. Easy access to telemedicine abortion care can mitigate immediate harm.
Telemedicine can be done discreetly at home, which guards against reproductive coercion, including birth control sabotage and emotional blackmail.
Some women may find it easier to disclose when in the privacy and familiarity of their own surroundings.
Survivors often regain control of their lives after the crisis of an unplanned pregnancy when they make the best decision for themselves.
The discreet nature of taking telemedicine pills allows someone living with violence to safely take the pills without having to reveal they had an abortion.
Access to safe abortion and contraception is a matter of social justice.
Destigmatising telemedicine can open up the potential for stronger integrated social supports.
Free home abortion with pills would help ease many of the issues caused by intimate partner violence, rape, incest and coercive control.
Visit Alliance for Choice’s website and follow on Twitter.