In 2022, we celebrated a massive victory when 'pills-by-post' abortions were made a permanent option following the pandemic. This service allowed women to access early medical abortion from the safety of their own homes, removing the exhaustion of travel, the stress of childcare, and the fear of being spotted outside a clinic. It was a compassionate, evidence-based policy that brought abortion care into the 21st century – but right now, that progress is under fire.
Anti-abortion groups are mounting a coordinated campaign to strip away this access, using the House of Lords to try and drag our healthcare back to the Victorian era.
This regressive push is happening just as we reach a historic turning point. For over 160 years, abortion in England and Wales has been governed by an archaic 1861 law (passed before women even had the right to vote) that makes ending a pregnancy outside of a specific legal framework a criminal offence carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison. Last summer, our ‘End 1861’ campaign with the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and other powerful voices in the sector saw thousands demand change, and it worked: MPs in the House of Commons voted for a landmark amendment to finally decriminalise abortion for women and girls.
To be clear, decriminalisation is not about "abortion up until birth" – it is simply about removing the threat of a prison cell or an investigation for vulnerable women and ensuring abortion is regulated like any other type of healthcare.
By ending the 1861 law, England and Wales would simply be catching up with countries like Canada, France, and New Zealand, where abortion is treated as a medical matter rather than a criminal one. In recent years, we have seen our outdated law is being weaponised against the most vulnerable: women who have suffered traumatic late-stage miscarriages or those who have taken medication unaware of exactly how far along they were are being subjected to harrowing police investigations and the threat of life imprisonment.
Despite winning the initial landmark vote, the fight isn't over. On 18 March, the House of Lords will vote on this vital reform – and anti-abortion activists are viewing this as a chance to try and push forward amendments that would see telemedicine (the formal name for pills-by-post) scrapped.
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Katherine O’Brien, Associate Director of Communications and Campaigns at BPAS, warns: “[The success of the End 1861 campaign to decriminalise abortion] was a historic step forward – recognising that no woman should face arrest or prosecution for ending her own pregnancy. Now, the responsibility lies with the House of Lords to ensure this reform becomes law. At the very moment Peers are considering this vital change, anti-abortion amendments have been tabled that would not only block decriminalisation but also reverse access to at-home early medical abortion.”
These dangerous amendments seek to force every woman back into a clinic for an in-person appointment, regardless of her circumstances. Anti-abortion groups are "actively inundating members of the House of Lords with misleading and inaccurate information," says O’Brien. Because Peers are unelected, many people feel they have no way to influence them – but silence is exactly what the opposition is banking on.
“BPAS has created a simple online tool that allows members of the public to email a Peer directly,” O’Brien explains. “All you need to put in is your email address, and the tool will allocate a member of the House of Lords at random and send your message straight to them. We are close to achieving lasting change, but we must speak up now.”
Decriminalisation isn't just a legal technicality; it’s about ensuring no woman ever faces a police investigation for her reproductive choices.
We cannot let a vocal minority dismantle our hard-won rights. Use the BPAS tool today, tell the Lords to protect pills-by-post, and help us finally consign the 1861 law to history.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
