Time for a new deal for women facing unplanned pregnancy

A ground-breaking pilot information and awareness campaign linked to a new faster abortion service referral scheme was launched on Monday 8 May by bpas. 

The London-wide text message, website, poster, leaflet and postcard campaign ‘Unplanned Pregnancy: Your choices’ is aimed at women faced with an unplanned pregnancy. It gives impartial and practical advice on continuing the pregnancy, as well as on seeking abortion. The campaign seeks to raise women’s awareness that time is of the essence when deciding about pregnancy or abortion care. Abortion is safer and more straightforward when performed earlier in pregnancy.

For the first time, information can be made discreetly available directly to the pregnant woman by a simple text message to her mobile phone. A confidential phone number for advice and even the location of her nearest abortion clinic can be given in this way.

bpas will also be distributing small, subtly unbranded ‘business’ cards to be kept in purses or handbags with helpline contact details aimed at any London woman who is sexually active, to be kept for future reference. 

In addition to this, the new abortion service referral scheme from bpas will cut unnecessary waiting time by allowing women to refer themselves directly to see their local abortion professional via a priority booking number. This will allow them to get specialist help as quickly as possible, rather than waiting for their family doctor to refer them on.

Ann Furedi, Chief Executive of bpas said:

‘We are trialling new means of discreet information-giving because no woman anticipates needing an abortion- but vital information and help is not always easily or promptly available to her. Yet in other areas of healthcare or important domestic matters, most of us wouldn’t think twice about keeping a number handy in case we needed to call a specialist in an emergency.

‘bpas is piloting this new information service because we see around 50,000 women a year for abortion treatment and we know from them that a new system of balanced information provision about their options is vital. Whatever the woman’s decision will be, she needs access to information and sympathetic, practical help quickly.

‘There may be good reasons why a woman does not want to contact her family doctor to discuss her unplanned pregnancy or to ask about abortion. Sometimes the GP appointments system can not give women access to specialist services promptly enough. Women need this new service because appropriate treatment advice must be made available as soon as it is requested.’

The new priority bookings number is 0845 365 4545

The new website is at http://www.pregnancychoice.co.uk

To access the discreet text message information service text ‘CHOICE’ to 60300