MOST abortions in Scotland are now taking place at home in a profound shift resulting from the Covid pandemic.
Figures from Public Health Scotland showed 53 per cent of the 13,758 abortions undertaken in 2021 were done without the mother going to a clinic or hospital.
These early medical terminations involved two drugs taken at home, mifepristone and then misoprostol.
In 2017, Scottish ministers agreed the second drug, misoprostol, could be taken in the home, but mifepristone still had to be administered in a clinic.
The following year, around 30% of medical terminations involved self-administered misoprostol in the home.
However in March 2020, Scottish ministers responded to the Covid lockdown by allowing women to take the first drug, mifepristone, at home as well.
In that year, 37.9% of women undertaking an abortion at home took both drugs at home, and in 2021 it rose to 53.1% (7,310 women).
Women’s Health Minister Maree Todd has confirmed that the use of both drugs at home will continue to be available where it is judged medically appropriate.
The new figures also showed 39% of women took only the second drug at home and 18% of terminations were carried out in clinics or hospital settings.
Chief Medical Officer Greg Smith said: “The arrangements put in place from March 2020 have allowed patients to take both abortion medications, mifepristone and misoprostol, at home in certain circumstances as coronavirus has been considered a serious and imminent threat to public health.
“Our primary concern is that services remain both safe and meets the needs of patients.”
A slight decline in abortions was noted in the PHS report – with 138 fewer terminations undertaken compared to 2020.
In 2020, abortion rates in Scotland were at the second-highest level since 2008.
Women from deprived areas are still more likely to undergo the procedure than their more affluent counterparts, PHS said.
The rate in Scotland’s poorest communities was almost twice as high as in the least deprived areas.
NHS Tayside recorded the highest termination rates per NHS Board, with 16 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, while Dundee City had the highest number by council area – with 18.7 per 1,000 women.
Women in remote areas continued to have the lowest rates of early access to termination services, figures showed.
The rate of abortion per 1,000 people in Scotland in 2021 was 13.4, compared to 13.5 in 2020.
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