Positive experiences by Irish women using online abortion service Women on Web

The study analysed demographics of 5,650 women requesting medical abortion between 2010 and 2015, and the experiences of 1,023 women who completed abortion from January 2010 to December 2012. Results were peer-reviewed and published in the international journal, British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG).

Study findings include:

  • Among women completing early medical at-home abortion, 97 percent felt they made the right choice and 98 percent would recommend it to others in a similar situation.
  • However women reported mental stress caused by pregnancies they did not want and the stigma, fear, and isolation caused by current restrictive abortion laws.
  • women most commonly reported they were ‘relieved’ (70 percent) and ‘satisfied’ (36 percent) after the abortion.
  • Women with bad financial circumstances had twice the risk of lacking emotional support.

The study was published online first at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.14401/full