Canada's abortion rate is low in comparison with that of other countries. Abortions are performed in a small percentage of hospitals in Canada by a few hundred doctors. Abortion tends to be unavailable outside of the main urban centres. Hospitals generally require that a woman seeking an abortion be referred by a physician, whereas clinics do not. Hospitals mostly use general anaesthesia for abortions.
Clinics always use local anaesthesia.
Abortions in hospitals are covered under provincial health insurance plans. Abortions performed in clinics may be fully covered, partially covered, or not covered at all, depending on the province. Doctors are legally required to obtain a patient's informed consent for any medical procedure. Informed consent means that a patient has been given enough information about the procedure's risks, complications and alternatives to make a knowledgeable decision about having it. Informed consent is a well-established part of abortion care today.