Press Release: Abortion Rights Raises Concerns Over British Police Testing for Abortion Drugs and Menstrual App Data Use

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Recent revelations have sparked concerns over the actions of British police in their investigations of unexplained pregnancy losses. The investigative journalism outlet, Tortoise has uncovered instances where forensic reports indicate that police are conducting tests to detect abortion drugs and seeking data from menstrual tracking applications as part of their inquiries.

Abortion Rights Chair Kerry Abel expressed concern over these developments, saying, “The privacy and autonomy of women and pregnant people, especially when dealing with sensitive reproductive health matters, must be protected.

“In a world where personal data and privacy are under constant surveillance and scrutiny. The prospect of women facing invasive scrutiny in their personal healthcare decisions is alarming and infringes upon their right to privacy

“The specific testing method in question is mass spectrometry, which can identify the presence of abortion drugs, such as mifepristone and misoprostol, in the urine, blood, and placenta of women under investigation. In addition to these tests, there have been reports of requests for “data related to menstruation tracking applications.”

“These practices have reportedly been occurring for a minimum of three years, raising questions about the ethics, privacy, and legality of such investigations.“Abortion Rights firmly believes that such practices underscore the urgency of decriminalising abortion. Women should have the autonomy to make decisions about their bodies and reproductive health without fear of invasive investigations. Abortion Rights calls for decriminalisation now and greater safeguards to protect the privacy and autonomy of individuals, especially in matters as personal as reproductive choices.”

The situation has ignited a wider debate about the boundaries between law enforcement and individual privacy, with civil liberties organisations and privacy advocates calling for transparency and safeguards in such investigations.

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For further information, please contact Kerry Abel, Abortion Rights, chair kerry@abortionrights.org.uk