ABSTRACT
Despite tens of millions of abortions globally each year, abortion remains a criminal act in much of the world, including Britain unless carried out under the provisions of the 1967 Act. This chapter is based on primary research comparing the experiences of women in Northern Ireland (NI) who unlawfully used abortion pills accessed via the internet, just prior to the recent decriminalisation of abortion there, with women in Scotland who had lawful medical abortions under the care of the National Health Service. Through the interviews, the harmful impact of criminalisation can be seen as women in NI did not seek medical assistance for fear of arrest, while social stigma was a key theme in Scotland.
