Abortion is a Normal Pregnancy Outcome - Dr. John Reynolds-Wright

In this episode, Dr John Reynolds-Wright discusses one of the most common outcomes of pregnancy and one of the least openly talked about: abortion. He explains what actually happens during an abortion, why the evidence on women's pain is so thin, and why a Victorian criminal law still decides who is allowed to provide abortion care today. Our conversation also covers whether telemedicine abortion really is as safe as being seen in clinic, the legal grey area between contraception and abortion that researchers call contragestion, and the myths about abortion that John would most like to see die. In this episode you'll learn: - The 1967 Abortion Act doesn't give women a right to abortion. It gives doctors an exemption from prosecution under an 1861 law still sitting on the statute book, and it still takes two doctors' signatures - Median blood loss for a medical abortion at eight weeks is about 70ml, just under the classic threshold for a heavy period - Nobody proposes pain relief for a fetus during a vaginal birth and John asks why the question only arises around abortion A note on the law: this episode was recorded in May 2026. Since then, the Crime and Policing Act 2026 has removed criminal liability for women in England and Wales in relation to their own pregnancies, at any gestation. Nothing has changed for providers, and the framework John describes, including the two-doctor requirement, still stands. To find out more about John's work, visit his University of Edinburgh profile and the British Society of Abortion Care Providers website. You can find support and information at BPAS, MSI Reproductive Choices UK, NUPAS, NHS Inform https://www.nhsinform.scot and the RCOG's patient information on abortion care. Hosted by Dr. Erin Williams @DrErinWill - Theme Song: youth - ghost - Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds - Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/youthghost - Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/AT/youtube