Press releases

Demand for abortions has surged to unprecedented levels amid the cost of living crisis, reaching a record high in 2022.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) expresses profound concern following the collapse of the trial involving two defendants who faced charges related to an alleged illegal abortion when they were teenagers in 2018.

A year on and abortion clinics continue to be targeted by protesters, with women and staff experiencing harassment across the country.

Heidi Stewart has been appointed the new CEO of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), and will assume the position at the beginning of summer.

BPAS joins wide range of organisations led by the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health (FSRH) calling for reclassification of oral emergency contraception (EC) from a Pharmacy (P) medicine to a General Sales List (GSL) medicine, allowing EC to be sold straight from the shelves without a mandatory consultation across retail outlets, as happens in other countries including the US, Sweden and Norway.

Following the release of Guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for healthcare professionals on involving the police following abortion and pregnancy loss, a BPAS spokesperson said:

“Women who come to healthcare providers for an abortion need to have trust that their privacy and confidentiality will be respected."