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For many years I worked closely with Merton Women's Aid in London as a GP (family physician); so I have good reason to consider it tragic that the UK Government may enshrine in law the emergency COVID-19 measure, brought in last year, allowing ‘DIY abortion’ – also known as chemical abortion or Pill abortion – at home on request by phone.

Today in Britain we had our first death from the omicron variant. The NHS website has crashed from enquiries and vaccine booster centres are overwhelmed with long queues. Worldwide, the US first, then Germany, UK, France and Russia have the most new cases.

For many years I worked closely with Merton Women's Aid in London as a GP (family physician); so I have good reason to consider it tragic that the UK Government may enshrine in law the emergency COVID-19 measure, brought in last year, allowing ‘DIY abortion’ – also known as chemical abortion or Pill abortion – at home on request by phone.

In my past clinical experience, most abusive men tried to coerce women who want to keep their child, into having an abortion they did not want. Making abortions easier with pills in the post will be a real gift to abusers…

For several decades arguments have gone back and forth as to whether induced abortion (termination of pregnancy) has any negative effects. In all of this, one aspect of scientific evidence has been missing - pre-clinical data.

Can a foetus feel pain at abortion? It’s a question many are asking in the UK and USA and causes anxiety in women considering an abortion [1,2]. The medical establishment in the UK is beginning to take steps to address foetal pain, even during an abortion procedure.

Today in Britain we had our first death from the omicron variant. The NHS website has crashed from enquiries and vaccine booster centres are overwhelmed with long queues. Worldwide, the US first, then Germany, UK, France and Russia have the most new cases.

For many years I worked closely with Merton Women's Aid in London as a GP (family physician); so I have good reason to consider it tragic that the UK Government may enshrine in law the emergency COVID-19 measure, brought in last year, allowing ‘DIY abortion’ – also known as chemical abortion or Pill abortion – at home on request by phone.

In my past clinical experience, most abusive men tried to coerce women who want to keep their child, into having an abortion they did not want. Making abortions easier with pills in the post will be a real gift to abusers…

The Covid-19 pandemic has swiftly swept the world into its grip. It has forced countries to a standstill and is stretching health services to their limits. Research from the Guttmacher Institute suggests that the pandemic is placing all areas of health at risk and has ‘major implications for people’s reproductive priorities and actions’ [1].

For several decades arguments have gone back and forth as to whether induced abortion (termination of pregnancy) has any negative effects. In all of this, one aspect of scientific evidence has been missing - pre-clinical data.

Can a foetus feel pain at abortion? It’s a question many are asking in the UK and USA and causes anxiety in women considering an abortion [1,2]. The medical establishment in the UK is beginning to take steps to address foetal pain, even during an abortion procedure.