Coronavirus chaos 'could force women in Northern Ireland to resort to dangerous back-street abortions'

Women in Northern Ireland who are seeking abortions could be left with nowhere to go because of restrictions on travel during the coronavirus outbreak, experts have warned.

Though abortion is now legal in the country, there are not yet any services that provide terminations - meaning women must travel to the mainland UK or the Republic.

Frontline service providers told The Independent women seeking abortions in Northern Ireland could be forced to put their lives at risk by resorting to dangerous back-street abortions in the wake of travel chaos unleashed by coronavirus.

Women in need of an abortion who are displaying symptoms of coronavirus could also be blocked from accessing an abortion due to clinics which provide the procedure refusing to treat anyone with symptoms.

Women in the Republic of Ireland could also be blocked from getting abortions due to the government limiting all non-essential travel overseas until at least 29 March. While abortion has been legally accessible there since January 2019, there are massive issues with the roll-out and thousands have faced delays, with many still travelling to England for the procedure.

Mara Clarke, who set up Abortion Support Network, said: “Right now you can still travel from Ireland and Northern Ireland to England if it is considered essential travel but that could change in an instant.

“If women are super desperate for an abortion, they might try something desperate. We once had a mother-of-four tell us matter of factly she was trying to figure out how to crash her car but not permanently injure herself and die and another woman who asked her partner to hit her in the stomach with a bat. We do have women who say ‘I was thinking about killing myself before I found your number’.

“Also, if you have health issues and need an abortion but are barred from getting one your health will be at risk. We are going to see a massive baby boom in December. Also, who is going to watch your kids when you travel for an abortion if people are self-isolating? Certainly not grandma and grandpa.”

Ms Clarke, whose organisation delivers financial support, accommodation and consultation to women from the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain, raised concerns women may be blocked from having abortions if staff working in clinics contract coronavirus or if hospitals pull people from abortion services to work elsewhere to cope with the crisis.

Women in Northern Ireland are far less inclined to travel to the Republic than England for an abortion due to prohibitive prices of about €450 (£427) and a mandatory three-day “reflection period” which often means extra travel costs.

Women in the Republic are also regularly forced to travel to England, where abortion is legal for the first 24 weeks of pregnancy compared to only 12 weeks in Ireland.

Cathie Sheils, who works for Abortion Rights Campaign, said: “There is the threat people will be sold paracetamol or sugar black market pills online and left pregnant against their wishes. There is also the chance they may take a dangerous pill.

“But it is important to emphasise that there safe reputable websites out there selling abortion pills such as Women on the Web and Women Help Women. But on the very rare and unlikely chance of someone having an adverse reaction, they should go to a doctor. However, it is statistically safer for people to take abortion pills than viagra.”

Ms Sheils, who is based in Dublin and has been involved in abortion rights for eight years, called for legislation to allow telemedicine and home use of both abortion medicines to be introduced in the Republic and Northern Ireland in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

“It would involve a video conference call with a clinician,” she added. “It is very safe. It is good for healthcare professions because they are not overwhelmed. It is good for women as so they do not have to visit a clinic in the middle of coronavirus pandemic. It stops women from potentially getting coronavirus.”

Danielle Roberts, a spokesperson for Alliance for Choice, said: “It is going to be harder for people to seek an abortion if their partner is subjecting them to domestic abuse. Before they could say they were going to work but now they have no cover story. Also, the knock-on effects of the lockdown might see more people who need an abortion in coming months.”

Emma Campbell, who works for the same organisation, added: “We used to say that if you had a credit card and access to childcare you didn't worry in the same way about access to abortion, but soon rich or poor, privileged or marginalised, we will all be in the same boat. Or without one."

The termination of pregnancies became legal in Northern Ireland in October after MPs in Westminster voted by a landslide in July to give women the right to abortion – marking an end to the procedure being banned in almost all circumstances, even rape and incest, and women seeking a termination facing life imprisonment.

Frankie Appleton, of Marie Stopes, a leading UK abortion provider, said: “Too many women already face too many barriers to getting abortions - financial, geographical, and sociological obstacles. Social isolation measures because of coronavirus will compound barriers to access.

“The collapse of UK airline Flybe is already limiting many women’s options to travel to England. The cancellation of flights will further take women’s ability away. Under the new restrictions around travel, women are likely to be forced to have to explain why they are travelling.

"The fear of stigma often stops women telling friends and family. Clients often tell them they are going on a shopping trip to England and will even go to department stores and buy bags. But social distancing has removed one of the ways women keep their abortion private.”

A Department of Health spokesperson: “The department is aware of the potential difficulty for women in Northern Ireland in accessing certain services in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The department would urge women not to turn to unregulated online abortion providers where there is no guarantee of the safety of products or advice provided.”

If you are based in Northern Ireland and have been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can speak to someone in confidence at the Abortion Support Network by calling 07897 611593 or emailing info@asn.org.uk or you can ring the British Pregnancy Advisory Service on 0333 234 2184. If you are in the Republic of Ireland, you can contact the MyOptions helpline on 1800 828 010 or on 0035316877044 from Northern Ireland.