Periods, domestic abuse and birth trauma are included in the government's women's healthcare priorities – but where is abortion?

Periods, domestic abuse, and maternity care feature heavily in the government’s priorities for women’s healthcare in 2024. A series of measures – including the continued roll-out of women’s health hubs, commissioning research into the impact of periods in the workplace, and introducing training to support victims of sexual and domestic abuse – were announced at the Women’s Health Summit in central London last week.

The Women’s Health Strategy for England is the government’s ten-year plan for improving the health and wellbeing of women and girls in England. Last week’s summit featured speeches by Professor Dame Lesley Regan, the Women’s Health Ambassador for England; Maria Caulfield, the Minister for Women’s Health; and Victoria Atkins, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Speaking at the summit, Atkins reflected on the strategy’s success so far, saying, “We’re breaking historical barriers that prevent women from getting the care they need, building a greater understanding of women’s healthcare issues and ensuring their voices and choices are listened to.”

She continued, “We’ve made huge progress – enabling almost half a million women access to cheaper HRT, supporting women through the agony of pregnancy loss and opening new women’s health hubs – but I absolutely recognise there is more to do.”

Alice Pelton, the founder of the reproductive health platform The Lowdown, agrees that there is more for the Women’s Health Strategy (WHS) to achieve. During an open Q&A at the summit, Pelton enquired about the apparent lack of policies for abortion access in the WHS, asking, “How can we really improve women’s lives and livelihood without addressing this?”

In response, Professor Dame Lesley Regan, who chairs the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ task force on abortion, described the medical procedure as “a really crucial part of women’s healthcare”, adding: “I know from practical experience working overseas that when it is difficult to access, or it’s illegal, the problem does not go away. It goes underground. And as a result of that, girls and women die. So, there is still a significant percentage of girls and women in our world who die as a result of backstreet or unsafe abortion.”

Victoria Atkins added: “This is a vital medical service for women. My voting record tells it […] And I very much believe that every woman in the United Kingdom should have access to safe healthcare.”

Abortion is not directly referenced in the latest press release about the government’s women’s health priorities for 2024. It is explicitly mentioned in the official Women’s Health Strategy on two occasions: first, in a diagram about women’s health across different ages, and second, in a sub-section titled ‘Abortion services’. It reads:

“Under the Abortion Act 1967, women have access to safe, legal and regulated abortion services.

“The wellbeing and safety of women and girls accessing abortion services has been, and will continue to be, our first and foremost priority.

“We will set out our plans for sexual and reproductive health later this year, including ensuring women can continue to access robust and high-quality abortion services.”