Many women in Britain who turn to the internet to get hold of abortion pills do so because they are unable to access the procedure via a clinic, according to new research.

Data published today in the journal Contraception gives fresh insight into the reasons behind a dramatic recent increase in women in Britain seeking to illegally carry out early medical abortions at home, despite the procedure – which doesn’t require surgery – being legally available in clinical settings in England, Scotland, and Wales.

Campaigners believe the findings strengthen the case for the now 50-year-old Abortion Act 1967 to be reformed and updated in line with medical advances.

Long waiting times, distances to a clinic, work and childcare commitments, and lack of eligibility for NHS services were among the most common reasons for seeking abortion pills online given by women who contacted Women on Web, a nonprofit organisation that sends the pills to those in countries where the procedure is illegal.

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