The morning-after pill (MAP) is now available free of charge at pharmacies across England.
The MAP was first licensed for occasional use, but it can now be acquired over the counter at almost 10,000 pharmacies without an appointment or prescription.
The drug, which can be given to school pupils under the age of consent, can cause early stage abortions and encourages reckless sexual behaviour.
Dr Sue Mann, NHS National Clinical Director in Women’s Health, hailed the scheme as “one of the biggest changes to sexual health services since the 1960s”.
Some pharmacies had been charging up to £30 for the pill, although it was handed out free of charge by most GPs and sexual health clinics. Clinics distributed 92,109 MAPs in 2024-25, giving the pill to 1,350 girls aged 13 to 15.
A note to editors accompanying NHS England’s press release stated: “Patients can now access a wide range of over-the-counter support and medications for minor health concerns”. Conditions listed included earache, infected bites and digestive problems.
When the scheme was announced earlier this year, The Christian Institute’s Head of Policy and Research, David Greatorex, warned that the morning-after pill “is neither safe nor fair”.
He continued: “It destroys unborn children, and its promotion encourages sexual activity outside marriage – including among school children. This is a reckless policy that is extremely damaging to our society.”
To learn more about the morning-after pill and biblical teaching on abortion, download our briefing.
In this comprehensive but plain-speaking book John Ling sets out how the morning-after pill works and its wider social effects. Taking in evidence from science to philosophy, and from God’s law to British law, he argues that the morning-after pill demands a powerful Christian response.