We've defended reproductive rights from religiously motivated restrictions since our founding.
Religion should not stand in the way of reproductive healthcare.
A desire to restrict reproductive rights, and to control women's bodies, is a hallmark of religious fundamentalism. We strongly support the right of women to have legal and safe abortions and access to emergency contraception.
Since its founding the National Secular Society has supported reproductive rights. In 1878 our founder and vice-president were prosecuted for making information about birth control accessible to working class women.
Throughout the world, reproductive rights are still under threat from theocrats. While individual religious people hold diverse views on abortion, every stage of progress in reproductive healthcare has been fought by religious organisations. Often these have involved virulent campaigns of intimidation and misinformation.
84% of people in the UK believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. This includes 76% of religious people and 94% of nonreligious people.
In the UK, emergency contraception can still sometimes be difficult to obtain. Some religious pharmacists have defied General Pharmaceutical Council guidance by refusing to sell it or even to dispense a prescription given to a woman after a consultation with her own doctor.
People of all religions and beliefs can have disagreements on the boundaries of bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. However, religious beliefs should not be used to restrict the bodily autonomy of other people.
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Latest updates
NSS deplores revocation of abortion rights in US
Posted: Fri, 24 Jun 2022 17:04
The National Secular Society has expressed dismay that a Supreme Court decision will result in millions of women in the United States losing abortion rights.
Today the US Supreme Court overturned the 50 year old Roe v Wade ruling that legalised abortion throughout the country.
Half of US states are expected to introduce new restrictions or bans as a result. Thirteen have already passed 'trigger laws' that will automatically outlaw abortion following the ruling.
In the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade case, the Supreme Court ruled that a woman's right to an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy was protected by the US constitution.
Today's decision overturned that ruling by finding in favour of the Mississippi state in a case that challenged the state's ban on abortion after 15 weeks.
NSS comment
The NSS has sent a statement to the campaign group Abortion Rights to be delivered at their protest at the US embassy in London at 7pm tonight. Protests are also planned in Cardiff and Edinburgh.
The statement said: "This decision is a blow to women's reproductive rights.
"Today is a dark day for America, where, without a constitutional right to abortion, millions of women will be stripped of their right to choose.
"It also signals a worrying victory for the religious right over constitutional separation of church and state - a victory that anti-choice campaigners around the world may attempt to replicate in their own countries.
"We must be vigilant and ensure religious dogma is not allowed to impose on women's reproductive rights in this country or anywhere else."
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) are asking women's rights supporters to send a message to Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Liz Truss, urging her to "send a clear signal that the UK does not support the removal of a woman's right to access abortion care", and commit to protecting UK funding for reproductive health and rights programmes globally.
Religious opt-outs from RSE harming women’s health, report says
Posted: Wed, 20 Apr 2022 09:11
Religious exemptions from sex education at schools should be removed to protect women's health, experts have said.
The recommendation was also made by the National Secular Society in its response to a consultation on the government's strategy on women's health last year.
Last week the Department of Health and Social Care reported on the consultation responses, which also highlighted religious barriers to reproductive rights and the role of religion in violence against women and girls.
RSE "with no exemptions"
The NSS said religious opt-outs and exceptions for relationships and sex education (RSE) enable some faith schools to teach stigmatising ideas about contraception, abortion, menstruation and same-sex relationships.
The report said organisations and experts recommended that the government "review the variation" in RSE taught across all schools to ensure young people can access "unbiased and inclusive information". They said RSE should be taught to all students "with no exemptions for individuals or institutions", and include challenging "the perception that a woman's or girl's worth is connected to virginity".
Respondents said girls who attend religious schools or who are withdrawn from school do not have access to "the same level of unbiased, quality information on sexual health, contraception and abortion".
Reproductive rights
The NSS's response raised concerns that at some pharmacies staff have refused to provide women emergency contraception, citing religious reasons.
The concerns were repeated in the report, which said experts and organisations recommend "better education and guidance for healthcare professionals, including pharmacists" on giving women "unbiased information on the different types of contraceptives (including emergency contraception) available".
Respondents also recommended increasing use of virtual appointments and at-home abortions. The NSS supported an amendment to the Health and Care Bill which allows early medical abortion medicine to be taken at home.
Violence against women and girls
The NSS's submission was one of 77 responses which touched on the impact of violence against women and girls on women's health. It highlighted the role of religion in 'honour' crimes, female genital mutilation (FGM), and 'virginity testing' and 'repair' (hymenoplasty) procedures.
The report said organisations and experts recommended a ban on virginity testing and hymenoplasty. The NSS is supporting measures in the Health and Care Bill to outlaw both procedures.
NSS comment
NSS head of policy and research Megan Manson said: "It is encouraging that this report has acknowledged concerns raised by ourselves and others about religious threats to the health and wellbeing of women and girls.
"These findings must now be translated into policies to ensure women's health is never undermined by religious institutions. Religious exemptions to objective and inclusive RSE must be removed, access to reproductive healthcare guaranteed, and religious ideology underpinning violence against women robustly challenged."
