Skip to main content

Telemedicine reduces barriers to accessing medication abortion

Research has shown that clinic-to-clinic telemedicine for medication abortion is safe, but the Gynuity Telabortion study demonstrated in this publication that direct-to-patient telemedicine abortion, which allows patients to consult with a clinician over video and receive abortion pills at home through the mail, is feasible for patients and also highly effective.

In our commentary on the Gynuity Telabortion study, we note that telemedicine abortion can help mitigate existing barriers to abortion, such as having to travel long distances for care, losing wages from taking time off work and paying for gas, public transit fare or hotel and childcare.

The promise of telemedicine to reduce geographic disparities in abortion access faces several legal hurdles, including bans on telemedicine abortion in 17 states and FDA rules that regulate where abortion pills can be dispensed, restrictions that are unnecessary and not supported by evidence.

Our commentary, “Telemedicine for medication abortion,” is available from the journal Contraception.

Request a pdf.