The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, The Association of Early Pregnancy Units, The Scottish Early Pregnancy Network, and The Miscarriage Association are extremely concerned over House Bill 2810, put forward in Missouri’s House of Representatives in the United States.
This proposed bill criminalises treatment of an ectopic pregnancy and risks women’s lives. An ectopic pregnancy occurs where an embryo implants in a location other than inside the cavity of the uterus (womb). It is not medically possible to save a tubal ectopic pregnancy or move it to the correct place and untreated ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening.
We understand that reading about irresponsible legislation like this can be dangerous and highly distressing for people experiencing ectopic pregnancy. It conflates treatment of an ectopic pregnancy as a serious medical condition with access to abortion services. This causes confusion and can lead to women questioning whether they should undergo necessary clinical treatment.
We stress that it is important for women experiencing symptoms of ectopic pregnancy to seek medical attention and discuss with doctors the most appropriate treatment.
We strongly condemn the anti-abortion lobbyists for including treatment of ectopic pregnancy in an attempt to restrict access to abortion, putting the health and lives of women at risk.
Ends
About The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust is a UK charity which provides information, education, and support to anyone affected by ectopic pregnancy and to health professionals who care for them. The charity seeks to raise awareness about the condition so that women are able to get medical care quickly that can be life-saving. It ensures people leave hospital with relevant information and have someone to talk to about their trauma. The EPT’s resources are signposted to by the UK’s National Health Service and the charity supports research through contributing lived-experiences. For more information, please visit: https://ectopic.org.uk/
About The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is a medical charity that champions the provision of high quality women’s healthcare in the UK and beyond. It is dedicated to encouraging the study and advancing the science and practice of obstetrics and gynaecology. It does this through postgraduate medical education and training and the publication of clinical guidelines and reports on aspects of the specialty and service provision. For more information, please visit: www.rcog.org.uk
About The Association of Early Pregnancy Units
The AEPU is an expert, multi-disciplinary group in the field of early pregnancy in the UK. They set standards and offer national and international training to health professionals working in early pregnancy. For more information, please visit: https://www.aepu.org.uk
About The Miscarriage Association
The Miscarriage Association is a UK charity that offers support and information to anyone affected by miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or molar pregnancy. In addition to providing evidence-based information, we contribute to clinical research, support good healthcare practice and work to raise public awareness of the facts and feelings of pregnancy loss. For more information, please visit: www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk
About The Scottish Early Pregnancy Network
The Scottish Early Pregnancy Network represents the specialist doctors, midwives, nurses and sonographers who work in Scotland’s 24 early pregnancy units (EPU). EPUs provide emergency early pregnancy care, predominately for those suffering a miscarriages or ectopic pregnancy. SEPN also runs a specialist study day on early pregnancy care annually. For more information, please visit: https://sepn.co.uk/