Women will continue to be able to access at-home abortion services in England after MPs rejected Government efforts to scrap "pills by post".
Rules were changed in March 2020 to allow women to terminate early pregnancies by taking tablets at home after online or phone consultations with medics.
Before the pandemic, the first of two pills to end a pregnancy had to be taken at a clinic.
The Covid arrangements allowing women to take both tablets at home were due to end in August.
But MPs overturned the plan by 215 votes to 188, making it a permanent option for women to terminate a pregnancy at home up to 10 weeks.
Politicians were allowed a free vote on an amendment to the Health and Care Bill by Tory peer Baroness Sugg, to enshrine the service in law.
72 Conservative MPs voted to keep at-home abortion care, including former Prime Minister Theresa May and senior ministers Grant Shapps, Brandon Lewis, Mark Spencer and Kit Malthouse. 174 Tories voted against the amendment.
A total of 125 Labour MPs supported the measure and four voted against it.
Shadow health minister Dr Rosena Allin-Khan told MPs the service was "crucial for women's health care" and scrapping the move could increase numbers of later term abortions.
"We have seen time and time again that the Government is dismissive of women's health and has ignored the needs of half of the population," she said.
"Women's health care must reflect the needs of those it serves. Scrapping telemedical abortion services would drastically reduce access to such an incredibly vital service for women and will simply serve to increase later term abortions."
Labour's Jess Phillips said adult women should be trusted to use telemedicine for abortions.
Describing her own experience of having an abortion, she said "the worst process of having an abortion is the waiting".
The Birmingham Yardley MP said: "I had made the decision of what I was going to do with my body. I had made it the second I saw that I was pregnant on a pregnancy test, because I am an adult woman, completely capable of handling my own body and knowing my own mind.
"That is how we should treat every woman in this country."
Conservative MP Laura Trott said at home care is "a matter for human dignity, for women's dignity".
The Sevenoaks MP said it would make a "huge difference to a huge number of women", and "keeping the option of this service is supported by all women's groups working with vulnerable people".
Describing a close family member who had an abortion, she said: "She was driving home, she had to pull over at Sainsbury's where she vomited in a toilet, she had severe diarrhoea, she was bleeding very very heavily.
"This was forced on her because of an artificial constraint that we put on how women can access abortion. It's not right."
But Tory former minister Sir Edward Leigh called for a "proper evidenced debate on this".
He said: "Don't rush into this. This goes completely against the whole spirit of the Abortion Act. Whatever you think of that, this is a huge new step which I believe will put more women's health at risk."
DUP MP Carla Lockhart said the policy presents "huge risks to women's health and safety", and cited "heart-breaking stories" of women "traumatised" by the experience of at-home abortion.
Clare Murphy, Chief Executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said: "We are absolutely delighted that MPs followed the evidence and above all listened to women when they voted for the continuation of this service.
"Early abortion at home is safe, effective and an important option for women. We look forward to being able to provide this service into the future and are incredibly grateful to all the parliamentarians who championed it."
Ahead of the vote, Boris Johnson 's spokesman tried to avoid saying whether the PM, who is a Catholic, personally believes at-home abortion services should end.
The spokesman said it was a “matter of individual conscience”, adding: “He agrees with the position as set out that obviously it’s right that now the House can decide on returning to the pre-pandemic position.”
