---
title: "At-home abortions become permanently available in England and Wales"
date: "2022-08-30T15:04:17+01:00"
modified: "2022-08-30T16:08:20+01:00"
url: "https://humanists.uk/2022/08/30/at-home-abortions-become-permanently-available-in-england-and-wales/"
post_id: 120082
categories: ["News", "Wales"]
---

# At-home abortions become permanently available in England and Wales

![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/Social-522.png?resize=350%2C233&ssl=1)From today, at-home abortion pills have become [permanently available](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/at-home-early-medical-abortions-made-permanent-in-england-and-wales) in England and Wales. Humanists UK has welcomed the development.

Abortion pills can be taken by those less than 10 weeks pregnant, to terminate a pregnancy. In the past, they had to be taken in a medical setting. But in 2020, as a result of the pandemic, England, Scotland, and Wales [made it possible to take them at home](https://humanists.uk/2020/03/30/women-in-england-reportedly-to-receive-abortion-care-at-home-during-covid-19/).

The move was successful in reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission. But it also abortions safer and more accessible. A [study of more than 50,000 abortions](https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.16668) before and after the change, published by the *British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology* in 2021, concluded that at-home abortion provision is ‘effective, safe, acceptable, and improves access to care’. As a result of these findings, all major medical bodies backed at-home abortions becoming permanently available.

The [Welsh](https://humanists.uk/2022/03/01/welsh-government-makes-at-home-abortions-a-permanent-option/) and Scottish Governments then announced they would do just this. But in England, the UK Government decided to consult on the matter first. Humanists UK [responded to the consultation](https://humanists.uk/2021/02/18/telemedicine-has-made-abortions-safer-more-accessible-and-should-be-made-permanent-humanists-uk-tells-government/). Most respondents supported permanent provision, but nonetheless, in February, the Government [announced that](https://humanists.uk/2022/02/24/government-announces-end-to-at-home-abortions-in-england/) it would bring provision to an end.

This prompted a vote in the House of Commons. Most MPs [voted in favour](https://humanists.uk/2022/03/30/at-home-abortion-provision-made-permanent-in-england/) of keeping the provision – thus overturning the Government’s decision. That vote has [now come into force](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/at-home-early-medical-abortions-made-permanent-in-england-and-wales), in both England and Wales.

**Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Richy Thompson commented:**

> ‘We’re delighted that at-home abortion provision has become a permanent option for women and girls. The evidence shows that such provision is safer and easier to access.
> 
> ‘But the UK Government should [stand up for abortion rights abroad](https://humanists.uk/2022/07/22/norway-denmark-and-human-rights-groups-challenge-uk-over-abortion-rollback/), just as we have at home.’

**Notes:**

For further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Richy Thompson at <press@humanists.uk> or phone 020 7324 3072 or 020 3675 0959.

[Read more about our work on abortion](https://humanists.uk/campaigns/policy-unit/abortion-law/).

Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by 100,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.