Abortion in Prison: Access to Care in UK Prisons - Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Abortion in Prison: Access to Care for Women and Pregnant People in UK Prisons
IRAS ID
354250
Contact name
Fiona Bloomer
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Ulster University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
This study aims to research abortion access in women’s prisons in the United Kingdom (UK) through the lens of reproductive justice (Ross & Sollinger, 2017), by exploring the attitudes and experiences of women in prison and other key stakeholders. There is a dearth of existing research regarding imprisoned women’s access to abortion services globally, with most of the existing literature coming from the United States (US). Whilst there is a substantial gap in knowledge regarding access to abortion services for women in UK prisons (Mansfield et al., 2024; Milne & Dabrowski, 2022; Murray et al., 2024), research from the US suggests that women face multiple barriers in accessing abortion services from prison (Gips et al., 2020; Roth, 2004; Sufrin et al., 2009; 2015; 2023).
The main aim of the study is to identify and explore pathways to abortion services in prisons in the UK, using a prison in England as a case study example. Given the existing policy framework relating to abortion access in English prisons (MoJ & HMPPS, 2021), and the current policy vacuum in Northern Ireland (NI), it is hoped that this study will provide an insight into abortion pathways for women in prison, leading to policy recommendations and possible service improvements that could be beneficial for all regions of the UK, including NI. Focus groups will be conducted with women in prison to explore attitudes to abortion care in prison and in-depth, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with women in prison who have either had, or considered having, an abortion whilst in prison. The study will also include interviews with other key stakeholders including prison staff (including health care staff), abortion providers and community workers who work with women in prison. A Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2013) approach will be used, identifying themes across participant groups.
REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/EE/0063
Date of REC Opinion
10 Apr 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion