{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T02:49:30Z","timestamp":1768531770550,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"S1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,15]],"date-time":"2024-02-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1707955200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":14,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Intl J Gynecology &amp; Obste"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>The UK is usually viewed as having liberal abortion regulations, providing good access to abortion care within a publicly funded health service. However, the underlying laws are authoritarian, dating from an era when public executions drew large crowds and 67\u2009years before women were able to vote. Abortion is only legal when two doctors certify it meets the permitted grounds, and the penalty for self\u2010managed abortion is up to life imprisonment for both the woman and any accomplice. These laws had prevented the use of mifepristone and misoprostol at home. Changes to the regulations for misoprostol in 2018 and mifepristone in 2020 permitted home use, but the government announced they were rescinding the approval for mifepristone in 2022. This article discusses how, despite the opposition of government, significant progressive changes to the abortion laws were achieved. Early medical abortion at home is now protected in law, and safe access zones protect patients and staff from harassment and intimidation from protesters. Despite this progress, increasing numbers of women are facing criminal investigation and face long prison sentences if convicted. The need for decriminalization and for abortion care to be regulated like all other health care is the next pressing issue.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/ijgo.15331","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,16]],"date-time":"2024-02-16T01:59:30Z","timestamp":1708048770000},"page":"5-11","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Triumphs and trials with the UK abortion law: The power of collaboration in abortion reform"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"164","author":[{"given":"Jonathan","family":"Lord","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"British Society of Abortion Care Providers  London UK"},{"name":"MSI Reproductive Choices UK  London UK"},{"name":"Abortion Taskforce, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists  London UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lesley","family":"Regan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Abortion Taskforce, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists  London UK"},{"name":"FIGO  London UK"},{"name":"Imperial College  London UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_13_2_1","unstructured":"UK Parliament.Public order bill volume 729: debated on Tuesday 7 March 2023. Accessed May 25 2023.https:\/\/hansard.parliament.uk\/Commons\/2023\u201003\u201007\/debates\/786439D4\u201042C7\u201043CA\u201092A3\u2010B3F9859F3BE1\/PublicOrderBill#contribution\u20103964A47D\u20107A21\u20104EC9\u2010ABFD\u20100582531728A2"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_3_1","unstructured":"Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.Leading medical bodies express disappointment at Government's decision not to make telemedicine for abortion care permanent.2022. Accessed May 25 2023.https:\/\/www.rcog.org.uk\/news\/leading\u2010medical\u2010bodies\u2010express\u2010disappointment\u2010at\u2010government\u2010s\u2010decision\u2010not\u2010to\u2010make\u2010telemedicine\u2010for\u2010abortion\u2010care\u2010permanent\/"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.o2789"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_5_1","volume-title":"Abortion Rights in Europe Vary Widely\u2014And are Getting Squeezed","author":"Martuscelli C","year":"2022"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_6_1","unstructured":"YouGov.Where does the British public stand on abortion in 2023?October 12 2023. Accessed December 24 2023.https:\/\/yougov.co.uk\/politics\/articles\/47568\u2010where\u2010does\u2010the\u2010british\u2010public\u2010stand\u2010on\u2010abortion\u2010in\u20102023"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/jme.27.suppl_2.ii2"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_8_1","unstructured":"Department of Health and Social Care.Abortion statistics 2021: data tables.2022. Accessed May 25 2023.https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/1084078\/Abortion\u2010statistics\u20102021\u2010data\u2010tables.ods"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_9_1","unstructured":"Center for Reproductive Rights.European abortion laws. A comparative overview.2022. Accessed May 25 2023.https:\/\/reproductiverights.org\/wp\u2010content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/15381_CRR_Europe_October_2022.pdf"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/jfprhc-2016-101696"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_11_1","volume-title":"Abortion Care Guideline","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2022"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_12_1","unstructured":"National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.Abortion care. NICE guideline [NG140].2019. Accessed May 25 2023.www.nice.org.uk\/guidance\/ng140"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_13_1","unstructured":"Department of Health and Social Care.Procedures for the approval of independent sector places for termination of pregnancy (abortion).2023. Accessed May 25 2023.https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/update\u2010to\u2010procedures\u2010for\u2010the\u2010approval\u2010of\u2010independent\u2010sector\u2010places\u2010published\/procedures\u2010for\u2010the\u2010approval\u2010of\u2010independent\u2010sector\u2010places\u2010for\u2010termination\u2010of\u2010pregnancy\u2010abortion\u2010in\u2010england"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.contraception.2017.09.003"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_15_1","volume-title":"Women are Settling for Abortion Care Options They May Not Want and Face NHS Delays Due to \u2018Postcode Lottery\u2019","author":"Sandhu S","year":"2022"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjsrh-2020-200880"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_17_1","unstructured":"Department of Health and Social Care.Abortion statistics in England and Wales.2022. Accessed May 25 2023.https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/collections\/abortion\u2010statistics\u2010for\u2010england\u2010and\u2010wales"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_18_1","volume-title":"England and Wales High Court (Administrative Court) Decisions","author":"BAILII","year":"2011"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/AOG.0000000000002536"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_20_1","volume-title":"Women \u2018Illegally Taking Abortion Pill At Home\u2019","author":"Mackenzie J","year":"2018"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjsrh-2018-200134"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_22_1","volume-title":"Jeremy Hunt Attacked for Repeating \u2018Incredibly Alarming\u2019 Abortion Views","author":"Heffer G","year":"2019"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.k3045"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_24_1","volume-title":"England Abortion Pill Rules \u2018Out of Step\u2019","author":"Walrond J","year":"2018"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_25_1","unstructured":"Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare British Society of Abortion Care Providers.Clinical guidelines for early medical abortion at home\u2014England.2019. 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