Each day an estimated five woman in Ireland are using abortion pills bought online: Pro-choice group
An estimated five women a day are illegally using abortion pills bought on the web, it has been claimed.
Pro-choice campaign group Reproductive rights, against Oppression, Sexism and Austerity (ROSA) said new abortion legislation was needed to stop women having to use pills in secrecy and facing a potential jail sentence.
Campaigning outside the Dail today for legislative change, Rosa spokeswoman Una Reynolds said: "We can never know the exact figure having home abortions because of illegality and secrecy.
"But we can now estimate that at least five people a day in the Republic of Ireland are using safe medical abortion pills."
She added: "How can a government sweep such a reality under the carpet?"
Ms Reynolds said the pills were being purchased from online sites.
She added: "Pregnant people are using medical abortion pills, illegal to use here but available to women throughout the world and recognised as essential medicine by the WHO."
Rita Harrold of Rosa said: "If we legislate for abortion on request up to 12 weeks as the Citizens Assembly recommended, we could allow women go to their own GP rather than using pills in secrecy and facing a potential jail sentence."
In September the chairwoman of the Citizens' Assembly which recommended liberalising rules on the termination of pregnancy urged politicians to examine the increasing use of abortion pills.
Mrs Justice Mary Laffoy said she was concerned that it was a growing phenomenon, with fewer women travelling to the UK and Netherlands for the procedure.
