Discussion on use of prescribed contraceptives in NI and issues relating to reproductive rights

Description

Roundtable discussion on use of prescribed contraceptives in NI and issues relating to reproductive rights.

Until recently abortion has only been legal under very limited circumstances in Northern Ireland (NI). In the absence of a NI devolved Assembly, the Westminster government has introduced legislation decriminalising abortion and will have to put in place a regulatory framework for abortion services in NI by March 2020. On 4 November the UK Government published a consultation paper, A legal framework for abortion services in Northern Ireland. The consultation runs until 16 December 2019. While the consultation document does not specifically ask about contraceptive provision it is important that contraceptive advice and provision is addressed as part of this policy and legal reform. A briefing paper was drafted discussing the current issues and summarizing the results of the first population-based exploration of contraceptive use in NI 'Use of prescribed contraception in Northern Ireland 2010-2016'. This was sent to healthcare experts, interest groups, charities and policy makers before they attended an ARK (Access Research Knowledge) Roundtable event entitled ‘Discussion on use of prescribed contraception in NI and issues relating to reproductive rights’. A presentation was then given on the study results and the issues raised were discussed. A policy briefing paper which will incorporate the recommendations resulting from the Roundtable discussions will now be drafted. This will be fed into the ongoing consultation.

Period	14 Nov 2019
Event type	Other
Location	Belfast, United Kingdom
Degree of Recognition	Regional