The advent of telemedicine has made abortion more accessible to some women. By clicking a few buttons online, a woman can consult with a doctor, get an abortion pill prescription, and have the pill delivered to her home. But according to Plan C, an organization that advocates for safe abortion pill access, women often struggle to know which sites are safe and reliable.
A new website, Aid Access, aims to remove these concerns, circumvent ultra-restrictive state abortion clinic laws, and provide affordable care.
New Online Abortion Option
Aid Access offers abortion pill consultations to women who are less than 10 weeks pregnant. The site is overseen by a physician, and women can contact the doctor for follow-up advice and questions. Consultations are usually $95, though the site also offers sliding scale rates to low-income women.
Sites like Aid Access allow women to circumvent state-level abortion laws, including those demanding parental consent and waiting periods. So it’s unsurprising, that the right has long vilified self-managed abortion.
For women facing an unwanted pregnancy, however, an online abortion offers a viable alternative to finding a decent clinic, wading through protesters, navigating waiting periods, and taking time off of work.
Financial barriers are the primary reason women delay having abortions. For some women, these financial barriers may cause them to wait till the second trimester, when abortion is more expensive, more controversial, and more difficult to obtain. A first-trimester abortion averages around $500, while women who wait until the second trimester may pay $2,000 or more. Paying just $95 for the entire abortion, including the medical consultation, may prevent women from seeking later term abortions or delaying until it’s too late.
Are Online Abortions Safe?
A 2016 study found that online abortions are safe. The complication rate in that study was 0.5%. That’s lower than the complication rate of most minor medical procedures, and similar to the complication rate of in-person abortions. Additionally, of 43 emergency departments the study surveyed, none reported treating a woman for complications related to online abortion pills.
That didn’t stop the National Review from immediately running a story lying about the study. A 2016 study found that men lying about abortion are a staple of abortion coverage, so this comes as no surprise.
The right’s opposition to online abortion, however, points to the power of telemedicine to help and empower women in an increasingly restrictive environment. Far-right politicians may even take action to try to limit online abortions or make the abortion pill harder to get.
The only way to prevent that catastrophe, and to prevent the many catastrophes conservatives have planned for women, is to vote. Election Day is November 6th, though many states offer early voting. Find a sample ballot for your area here.