A pregnant woman has had an abortion after being denied face-to-face counselling services from the UK’s largest abortion provider, BPAS, which boasts that it can offer same-day abortions in its ‘considering abortion’ booklet.
Nikita Jain Jones was unsure whether or not to proceed with her pregnancy and sought counselling from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) before making a final decision.
However, the mother of two couldn’t secure an appointment through the abortion giant and was then referred to her GP where there was an 18-week wait for face-to-face counselling.
Unable to access the help she needed before the 24th week of pregnancy – the latest a woman can legally terminate a pregnancy involving a non-disabled unborn baby – Nikita had an abortion.
‘I had no support’
Nikita further revealed to the BBC the “traumatic” effect the abortion had on her physical and mental health, saying: “I really struggled for the first couple of weeks following the abortion, I was bleeding heavily, I had clots, it was really painful and I had no support.
“Looking after my two children with no-one to talk to, no-one who understood, and no post-abortion counselling, that was traumatic.”
Nikita’s local health board in Gwynedd, Wales, said counselling was available to “anyone who accesses BPAS services”.
BPAS – which runs more than 60 facilities across the UK – conceded that face-to-face counselling is “not always possible in every clinic” but that a telephone service is provided as an alternative.
Jane Calvert, lead co-ordinator for patient support at BPAS, said: “It may not be where you are we will have [a counselling] service, so if you want to have a face-to-face, you’ll have to travel.”
Raising worrying questions over whether BPAS push women towards an abortion, she added: “Most women know exactly what they want to do, but they just need to talk through that moment with someone, so that they can be reassured that they are making the right decision.”
BPAS boasts same-day abortions but denies support
A spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson said: “What this shows, yet again, is that the so-called ‘pro-choice’ lobby is really just pro-abortion.
“Tragically, in this case, a life has been lost because it is significantly easier to secure an abortion than counselling.
“BPAS boasts that it can offer same-day abortions in its considering abortion’ booklet, yet denies women real choice, the face-to-face counselling and the support which may help them keep their babies.
“BPAS and the rest of the abortion lobby appear to have no interest in providing real practical support for women seeking counselling or in crisis pregnancies to help continue with their pregnancies. It appears these are services which are likely seen as a legal inconvenience for them when they just want to focus on abortions along with expanding the conditions in which they can perform them.”
