It’s been five years since we repealed the 8th, yet:   

• Many women and pregnant people are still being forced to travel to access terminations on medical grounds 
• Abortion access is a postcode lottery and our narrow legal framework means many are still unable to access it when they need it 
• Provision of abortion after 12 weeks is still a crime. Health professionals can be prosecuted for providing abortion after this limit except in strict circumstances, meaning women in need - including in some cases of fatal foetal anomaly - are not cared for.

The independent Abortion Review has identified these as real barriers, and we now need political follow-through.
 

Over the course of May and June, we ran a sustained e-action campaign, urging our supporters to demand real change from their TDs. The campaign ran for 37 days and in total 7866 emails were sent. If you took part in the e-action, thank you so much. If you'd like to get more involved. please sign up to our Mailing List to keep up to date with this campaign.

Here is what we are campaigning for:

• Review the 12-week limit and extend it into the second trimester: Abortion care, like all aspects of health care, should be decided in the context of a trusting and supportive doctor-patient relationship, whereby medical needs are met in line with clinical best practice and patient preferences.
• Remove obligatory 3-day wait: There is no medical purpose or value to the three-day waiting period. This restriction impedes doctors’ abilities to provide urgent care when required while also placing additional stress on women.
• Removal of the PPS number requirement: Abortion should be free at the point of access for all users, the PPS requirement creates an additional barrier for women and pregnant people of migrant background and those travelling from Northern Ireland who need to access care in Ireland.
• Remove 28-day limit: All women with a diagnosis of severe or fatal foetal anomaly should be guaranteed compassionate care in their own country. Cases of fatal foetal anomalies are rarely black and white - abortion legislation needs to allow for this nuance. It is unacceptable that many are still forced to travel for termination on medical grounds. Current law is failing women and pregnant people. 
• Recognise abortion as a central aspect of healthcare and end the criminalisation of doctors: Abortion is recognised as an essential aspect of healthcare by the World Health Organisation. Doctors still face up to 14 years in prison if they provide abortion care outside the very specific circumstances laid out in Irish law. No other aspect of healthcare is criminalised in this manner The criminalisation of healthcare in Ireland has a ‘chilling effect’ and undermines doctor’s clinical judgement and professional expertise.
• Broaden coverage: Access to nationwide coverage of abortion services in primary care and maternity hospitals settings must be prioritised by the HSE.
• Introduce Safe Access Zones: No Safe Access Zones in Ireland means anyone who needs to access abortion is potentially subject to abuse and harassment. 
• Contraception and Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE): To realise the reproductive and sexual health rights of all, universal access to contraception and the development of a modern RSE curriculum must be addressed.

Will you support our #AbortionAccess campaign?

This is our moment to further stand with women and pregnant people and ensure that at this critical time for reproductive health and rights in Ireland, their voices and experiences are central to the provision of abortion care. 

Sign up to our Mailing List to keep up to date with this campaign

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Make a donation so that no more women suffer while trying to access the services they need.

For anyone affected by the issues discussed, there is information and support at myoptions.ie