Clinic opens in Northampton town centre offering abortions to pregnant women

It will open five days a week, offering pregnancy options, counselling and abortion care for women experiencing unwanted pregnancies or pregnancies they feel unable to continue, as well as STI testing and a range of contraception options including long-acting reversible methods such as the contraceptive implant.

Ann Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said: “We are proud to be opening a new clinic in Northampton, which will enable us to help more women of all ages in the surrounding area.

"Every woman deserves to have access to local, high quality reproductive health services.

"The new clinic will enable us to provide more women considering a termination with advice, counselling and the best possible standard of abortion care, alongside our STI testing and contraception services.”

The teenage pregnancy rate in Northamptonshire has been steadily declining, with the conception rate among under-18s falling by over a third between 2010 and 2015, from 35.5 to 21.7 per 1,000 young women in this age group.

The pregnancy rate among under-16s has fallen even more sharply in the same period, decreasing by over half (from 7.5 to just 3.6 per 1000 young women aged under-16).

The abortion rate in Northamptonshire is 16 terminations per 1000 women, which is very slightly below the national average of 16.2 per 1,000 women.

BPAS will offer pregnancy counselling and consultations to women of all ages considering a termination, and the new clinic will now offer women surgical abortions (under local anaesthetic or conscious sedation) in addition to early medical abortions.

BPAS says same-day early medical abortions will be available to women who are sure of their decision and want to proceed with treatment.

Additionally, all the clinic’s nursing staff will be trained to fit a range of contraception options including implants, and patients will be offered chlamydia testing.

BPAS anticipates the new clinic will enable them to provide care and support to up to 2,000 women a year.

BPAS Northampton will be open from 09.30 – 17.30, Monday – Friday in St Giles Terrace.

All women registered with a GP in the area can self-refer by calling the BPAS call centre on 0345 7 30 40 30.