Christian peers in the House of Lords have submitted amendments to abortion law, in a bid to scale back access to so-called "at home abortions" or "pills by post".
Baroness Monckton has submitted an amendment to remove Clause 191 from the Bill, which decriminalises any action by a woman in relation to her own pregnancy.
A separate amendment, brought by Baroness Strode, seeks to reinstate the requirement for a face-to-face appointment with a medical professional before abortion pills can be prescribed for at-home use.This requirement was temporarily suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Supporters of the amendment argue that restoring in-person consultations would help reduce the risk of abuse and coercion, while ensuring that medical professionals can make accurate assessments of gestational age. However, pro-choice campaigners are concerned that removing the accessibility of abortions erodes a woman's personal autonomy, over whether to carry to term. The current law is inconsistent on timescales when it comes to unborn children.
"In the same hospital, you could have a baby being born prematurely at 22 weeks being saved by doctors, and another at 23 or 34 weeks being aborted."
She added that women who induce an abortion via pills by post could find themselves unprepared for a medical emergency.
"There can be a scary amount of blood [during the abortion]. It really depends. But if it was happening in a clinical setting, while it's still unsafe for the baby, at least, then that woman has got access to the clinical care that she needs. Also, if she is over the 10-week gestational limit, then obviously she wouldn't be allowed to have that type of abortion, and something that's more appropriate can be given rather than having this abortion at home."
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