WOMEN are seeking abortion pills online due to barriers accessing care, a study suggests.

Researchers, including experts from the University of Edinburgh and the Netherlands, found some women in England, Scotland and Wales are shunning traditional routes such as the NHS.

The study, published in the journal Contraception, found that 519 women contacted Women on Web — a digital community that supports abortion rights — between November last year and March this year. The anonymised emails of 180 women were analysed, giving 209 reasons for seeking an abortion via online services.

The study found 49 per cent listed barriers to getting an abortion the conventional way, including long waiting times, distance to clinic, work or childcare commitments, lack of eligibility for free NHS services and prior negative experiences of abortion care.

Around 30 per cent had concerns about privacy and 18 per cent said they did it in secret because they felt controlled by a violent partner.

Women on Web does not supply women in Britain with abortion pills, but abortion medication is widely available online.

The study concluded: “Despite the presence of abortion services in Great Britain, a diverse group of women still experiences logistical and personal barriers to accessing care through the formal healthcare system, or prefer the privacy of conducting their abortions in their own homes.”

“The presence of multiple barriers to accessing abortion care in Great Britain highlights the need for future guidelines to recommend a more woman-centred approach to service provision.

A spokeswoman for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), which provides abortions, said: “This important study gives unprecedented insight into the numbers of women now turning online to access abortion services and their reasons for doing so. The study illustrates that even in Great Britain, where abortion is lawful and funded, there will be many women who are unable to access services.”