Irish woman forced to travel for abortion after being denied morning after pill

A woman was forced to travel to the UK for an abortion after being denied the morning after pill.

The woman, known only as Sarah, said that a pharmacy denied her the pill and accused her of "lying" about being raped. After the refusal, the 24-year-old became pregnant and was forced to travel to the UK for a termination. She told Red FM's Neil Prendeville that she pretended the pregnancy "didn't exist until I couldn't anymore." She said:

“The only thing I could think of was how to get it out of me, I would have done anything. There was no way I was continuing on with that pregnancy, I didn't want to be pregnant. “I would like to have children on my terms, not on somebody's else's, and not like that.”

Sarah said she applied online for a termination in London. She travelled to the city and underwent a series of consultations and the abortion itself. Overall, Sarah said the trip took three days and cost her around €1,100. Current Irish legislation states that a pharmacist can refuse the morning after pill under "conscientious objection." Sarah said: “The particular pharmacist told me: ‘If you are going to lie to me, I can't help you.” She also told the radio station that when she reported her attack to the Gardaí, she was asked whether or not she had been drinking. She said:

“I was taken to a secondary room and it took me about 20 minutes to say the words ‘I was raped’ and that was the first very cold response that I received."