Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many abortion pills by post have been issued; how many people those pills have been issued to; and of those how many were under 16 years old.

From 28 December 2018, eligible women in England could take the second of the two drugs for early medical abortion (EMA), misoprostol, at home. This was changed from 30 March 2020, to allow eligible women in England to take both drugs for EMA, mifepristone and misoprostol, at home, without the need to first attend a hospital or clinic.

The Department does not hold a record of how many drugs for EMA have been issued. However, from 2019 to 2022, latest available data on home use, for one or both drugs taken at home, for residents of England, there were 481,179 abortions where either one or both of the drugs were taken at home. Of these, 2,127, or 0.4%, were for those aged under 16 years old.

From 2020 to 2022, latest available data on home use, for both drugs taken at home, for residents of England, there were 316,795 abortions where both medications were taken at home. Of these, 1,250, or 0.4%, were for those aged under 16 years old.

Please note, the second set of statistics, both pills taken at home, is included within the first, one or both pills taken at home.