BBC Documentaries

Abortion: Beyond the Backstreet (2018x213)

: 29, 2018

Exactly 50 years ago, in 1968, the Abortion Act came into force. It was passed in response to the numbers of women dying from unsafe and illegal abortions. The legislation was hugely controversial at the time and abortion continues to be an issue that arouses strong views. In this film, we talk to people on both sides of the debate. We meet women who had backstreet abortions, many sharing their stories for the first time, as well as people whose lives were affected by the passage of the law including doctors, nurses and police officers. Many people opposed the act, often from religious conviction. Opposition also came from some doctors who felt that they had been put in an impossible ethical position. We talk to people who fought against the legislation and also to Lord David Steel who as a young MP at the time, championed the bill.