British Pregnancy Advisory Service
Encyclopedia
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) is a British
charity
whose stated purpose is to "[support] reproductive choice by advocating and providing high quality, affordable services to prevent or end unwanted pregnancies with contraception
or by abortion
."
as the Birmingham Pregnancy Advisory Service. On the day that the Abortion Act 1967
came into force, Saturday 27 April 1968, the first patients had their consultations in the front room of the then Chairman, Dr Martin Cole
. At that time patients had to travel to London for termination, but a clinic was opened in Birmingham 18 months later.
, vasectomy and sterilisation, and vasectomy reversal services. BPAS's South London Clinic was one of the first recipients of the Department of Health 'You're Welcome' award in March 2009, for providing high standards of health care to young people.
BPAS gained substantial media attention in early 2011, when the charity went to the High Court seeking a legal re-definition of 'treatment' under the terms of the Abortion Act, which would have enabled women to have administered the second drug used in the 'abortion pill' treatment in their own homes. BPAS argued that such a change would have brought UK practice into line with best clinical practice, and with practice in countries such as the USA, Sweden, and France; and that it would have dramatically improved the experience of early medical abortion for women. The judge in this case did not accept the definition of 'treatment' proposed by BPAS, but confirmed that the Secretary of State for Health has the power to approve women's homes as a 'class of place' where certain abortion drugs could be taken.
In 2008 BPAS, along with other organisations in the Voice for Choice network, called for improvements to the abortion law during the Parliamentary debate over the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Bill. The government guillotined discussion of the HFE Bill in such a way that proposed clauses related to abortion could not be debated.
From the early 1980's BPAS carried out donor insemination treatments initially using 'fresh' sperm which was donated at the required time of the insemination. Later, after concerns about HIV in the early 1980's, sperm which had been frozen and thawed by BPAS was used instead. This enabled it to be quarantined and the donors re-tested. BPAS continued to store donor sperm and to carry out treatments until the HFEA came into being in 1993. Although it never carried out treatments under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, the BPAS held a storage licence until 1997. Its central London clinic, which was located in Charlotte Street W1 and was known as the Pregnancy Advisory Service (PAS), also carried out treatments using donor sperm before the passing of the Act. It held a treatment licence under the Act and continued to carry out artificial inseminations under the auspices of the HFEA. Unusually at the time, many of the patients of the PAS were single women or coupled lesbians. Indeed, its non-discriminatory policy in relation to donor insemination lead to a controversy in 1991 when a forty-year old woman who said she was a virgin gave birth to a child as a result of treatment provided by PAS. This was widely reported in the press at the time under the heading 'virgin birth'.
PAS ceased to carry out donor insemination treatments at the end of 1996 and it sold its client list to the London Women's Clinic in 1997. BPAS and PAS sold on their remaining sperm samples in 1997. The HFEA rules at the time did not cover a situation where a regulated clinic ceased to store gametes or ceased to use donated gametes in treatments, and, with the consent of the donors, both the BPAS and the PAS quite lawfully sold their stored sperm to fertility clinics outside the UK for use in donor treatments.
presented a video to the British government (Health Secretary
Dr John Reid and Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson
) showing BPAS counsellors referring women whose pregnancies were too advanced for legal abortions in Britain (past 24 weeks) to a clinic in Barcelona, Spain. A report filed by the Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson
, in September, 2005 was critical of some aspects of BPAS counselling, but concluded that, in the matter of BPAS staff referring (in the broad sense, not the strict medical definition) women with late-term pregnancies to the Ginemedex clinic, BPAS had not broken any laws. The report stated unequivocally that BPAS's ability to provide abortion and reproductive counselling and services (within its mandate) had not in any way been compromised, and that no changes in funding should result. It further stated however, that protocol for late-term abortion counselling was sorely lacking, and that the government and interested agencies must develop said protocol with all possible speed.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
whose stated purpose is to "[support] reproductive choice by advocating and providing high quality, affordable services to prevent or end unwanted pregnancies with contraception
Contraception
Contraception is the prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity. The term contraception is a contraction of contra, which means against, and the word conception, meaning fertilization...
or by abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
."
Origin
BPAS was founded in 1968 in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
as the Birmingham Pregnancy Advisory Service. On the day that the Abortion Act 1967
Abortion Act 1967
The Abortion Act 1967 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom legalising abortions by registered practitioners, and regulating the free provision of such medical practices through the National Health Service ....
came into force, Saturday 27 April 1968, the first patients had their consultations in the front room of the then Chairman, Dr Martin Cole
Martin Cole (sexologist)
Martin John Cole is a British sexologist, sex education pioneer and campaigner for abortion law reform, dubbed "Sex King Cole" by the press for his sex education films and books.-Life:...
. At that time patients had to travel to London for termination, but a clinic was opened in Birmingham 18 months later.
Activities
In addition to providing abortion counselling and treatment at over 40 centres across England, Wales and Scotland (over 93% of clients have their abortion treatment funded by the NHS), BPAS also provides emergency contraceptionEmergency contraception
Emergency contraception , or emergency postcoital contraception, refers to birth control measures that, if taken after sexual intercourse, may prevent pregnancy.Forms of EC include:...
, vasectomy and sterilisation, and vasectomy reversal services. BPAS's South London Clinic was one of the first recipients of the Department of Health 'You're Welcome' award in March 2009, for providing high standards of health care to young people.
BPAS gained substantial media attention in early 2011, when the charity went to the High Court seeking a legal re-definition of 'treatment' under the terms of the Abortion Act, which would have enabled women to have administered the second drug used in the 'abortion pill' treatment in their own homes. BPAS argued that such a change would have brought UK practice into line with best clinical practice, and with practice in countries such as the USA, Sweden, and France; and that it would have dramatically improved the experience of early medical abortion for women. The judge in this case did not accept the definition of 'treatment' proposed by BPAS, but confirmed that the Secretary of State for Health has the power to approve women's homes as a 'class of place' where certain abortion drugs could be taken.
In 2008 BPAS, along with other organisations in the Voice for Choice network, called for improvements to the abortion law during the Parliamentary debate over the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Bill. The government guillotined discussion of the HFE Bill in such a way that proposed clauses related to abortion could not be debated.
From the early 1980's BPAS carried out donor insemination treatments initially using 'fresh' sperm which was donated at the required time of the insemination. Later, after concerns about HIV in the early 1980's, sperm which had been frozen and thawed by BPAS was used instead. This enabled it to be quarantined and the donors re-tested. BPAS continued to store donor sperm and to carry out treatments until the HFEA came into being in 1993. Although it never carried out treatments under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, the BPAS held a storage licence until 1997. Its central London clinic, which was located in Charlotte Street W1 and was known as the Pregnancy Advisory Service (PAS), also carried out treatments using donor sperm before the passing of the Act. It held a treatment licence under the Act and continued to carry out artificial inseminations under the auspices of the HFEA. Unusually at the time, many of the patients of the PAS were single women or coupled lesbians. Indeed, its non-discriminatory policy in relation to donor insemination lead to a controversy in 1991 when a forty-year old woman who said she was a virgin gave birth to a child as a result of treatment provided by PAS. This was widely reported in the press at the time under the heading 'virgin birth'.
PAS ceased to carry out donor insemination treatments at the end of 1996 and it sold its client list to the London Women's Clinic in 1997. BPAS and PAS sold on their remaining sperm samples in 1997. The HFEA rules at the time did not cover a situation where a regulated clinic ceased to store gametes or ceased to use donated gametes in treatments, and, with the consent of the donors, both the BPAS and the PAS quite lawfully sold their stored sperm to fertility clinics outside the UK for use in donor treatments.
Criticism
In late 2004, the British newspaper The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
presented a video to the British government (Health Secretary
Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and...
Dr John Reid and Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson
Liam Donaldson
Sir Liam Joseph Donaldson was the Chief Medical Officer for England, the 15th occupant of the post since it was established in 1855...
) showing BPAS counsellors referring women whose pregnancies were too advanced for legal abortions in Britain (past 24 weeks) to a clinic in Barcelona, Spain. A report filed by the Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson
Liam Donaldson
Sir Liam Joseph Donaldson was the Chief Medical Officer for England, the 15th occupant of the post since it was established in 1855...
, in September, 2005 was critical of some aspects of BPAS counselling, but concluded that, in the matter of BPAS staff referring (in the broad sense, not the strict medical definition) women with late-term pregnancies to the Ginemedex clinic, BPAS had not broken any laws. The report stated unequivocally that BPAS's ability to provide abortion and reproductive counselling and services (within its mandate) had not in any way been compromised, and that no changes in funding should result. It further stated however, that protocol for late-term abortion counselling was sorely lacking, and that the government and interested agencies must develop said protocol with all possible speed.
External links
- BPAS homepage
- Telegraph article on 'the sting' October, 2004
- The Department of Health report PDF format, September 2005