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===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ||
In the United Kingdom, with the exception of Northern Ireland, abortion is permitted during the first 24 weeks of gestation. Women are allowed to obtain abortions for the following reasons: to save the life of the woman, to preserve physical health, to preserve mental health, rape or incest, fetal impairment or economic/social reasons. Abortion is not available on request in the UK. | |||
To obtain an abortion, spousal consent is not required. But medical consent is required. Two registered medical practitioners (or, in an emergency, only one) need to certify that the abortion is required on medical grounds, as stipulated in the Abortion Act 1967. The abortion must be performed in a National Health Service (NHS) hospital or in an NHS-approved place, which may be a private hospital, nursing home or another facility. | |||
When a woman is up to nine weeks pregnant, medical abortions can be performed with Mifepristone (abortion pill). From the seventh to fifteenth week, the suction/vacuum aspiration is most commonly performed. From the fifteenth to eighteenth week, surgical dilation and evacuation methods are most commonly performed. It is estimated that 30% of abortions in the United Kingdom are medical rather than surgical.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_the_United_Kingdom Abortion in the United Kingdom]</ref> | |||
Abortion in the United Kingdom is protected under the Abortion Act of 1967, which was amended by the Human Fertilization and Embryology Act of 1990. The Act applies to England, Wales and Scotland. It does not apply to Northern Ireland. According to the Act, "a person shall not be guilty of an offence under the law relating to abortion when a pregnancy is terminated by a registered medical practitioner if two registered medical practitioners are of the opinion, formed in good faith"<ref>[Abortion Act 1967]</ref> that the pregnant woman falls under criteria for permitted abortions. | |||
In 1991, the UK became the second country, after France, to approve the use of RU-486 (the abortion pill). The pill is currently controlled by the National Health Service, which distributes it to gynecological units in the UK. In 2011, the BPAS attempted to force the Health Secretary to allow women to administer second dosages of medical abortion treatments at home. This was lost in High Court. | |||
Generally, Great Britain is pro-choice. In 2004, a poll found that 75% of Britons believe abortion should be legal.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_the_United_Kingdom Abortion in the United Kingdom]</ref> | |||
===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ||