Ask Peers to support the child safeguarding abortion amendment

Baroness Eaton has this morning tabled an amendment (N1) to the Health and Care Bill that would ensure that under 18s have an in-person consultation with a medical professional before getting an abortion.

Savannah’s story helps demonstrate what this amendment would achieve.

As was reported on the BBC last week, 16-year-old Savannah (not her real name) had a phone consultation with the abortion provider, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) who determined that she was less than 8 weeks pregnant. 

When she went to the clinic to collect the abortion pills, they did not conduct an in-person consultation to perform a medical examination or a scan. She took both pills at home but after the second felt “really bad” pain.

“My relative called another ambulance because when I was pushing, my boyfriend could see feet,” Savannah said.

The baby had been born with a heartbeat and they had both been taken to hospital. It was concluded that she had been between 20 and 21 weeks pregnant.

Savannah said she had been left traumatised. “If they scanned me and I knew that I was that far gone, then I would have had him,” she said.

If this amendment becomes law, it will ensure that girls under 18 are seen in person for a consultation with a medical professional before having an abortion. 

Savannah has made it clear that she would not have gone ahead with the abortion had she had known her baby son’s gestation. This amendment would likely mean that the lives of many babies would be saved in the future as girls under 18 in Savannah’s situation will have a proper in-person consultation to accurately assess gestational age and, knowing how far along they are, may consider other alternatives to abortion.

The amendment would also give medical professionals an opportunity to properly assess whether girls under 18 are being coerced into an abortion along with undertaking other in-person safeguarding measures.

Please enter your postcode in the box above to send an email to Peers asking them to support the child safeguarding abortion amendment.