Women who sourced abortion pills online ended their pregnancy without surgical intervention

Women who ordered abortion pills from an online service against a backdrop of strict anti-abortion laws reported successfully terminating their pregnancy with few adverse events, new research has found.

The results of an analysis of 1,000 women in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland who used the Women on Web (WoW) telemedicine service between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012, found 95% reported ending their pregnancy without surgical intervention.

While repeal of legal restrictions “would support the safest and most equitable abortion care” for women on the island of Ireland, medical abortion via telemedicine provided a “reasonable alternative”.