Increasing medical abortion access
The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in the way people access abortion in Canada.
The rise of virtual care meant health care providers could speak to people by phone or through an online platform and provide a prescription for mifegymiso, two drugs that work together to terminate a pregnancy.
For the first time, people could access a medical abortion without the blood tests and ultrasounds required in the past.
I think the rise of what’s known as low-touch or no-touch abortions is important and a change that should stay.
As part of my fellowship at the University of Toronto, I’ve done work with newly arrived refugees in Canada, as well as marginalized and immigrant communities in Toronto.
Some of my patients come to me for reproductive health care without having formal legal status, and many feel vulnerable seeking advice.
Some might be in an abusive relationship and may need guidance on how to proceed with a pregnancy — or not proceed with it.
Universal access to low- or no-touch medical abortions can make a difference for patients. It can increase their feeling of safety with the process.
It can help people who are limited geographically or have limited funds to access care. Improving low-touch and no-touch abortion care helps people achieve reproductive autonomy.
Jenny Yang is the global women’s health and equity fellow in Temerty Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and an obstetrician-gynaecologist from Australia.