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.
During the informed consent process, women are told how an abortion is done and about the risks, complications and alternatives. They are given the opportunity to ask questions and to have their questions fully answered. Before a doctor will perform an abortion, he or she will make sure each patient is certain about her decision. Doctors routinely refer any woman who is unsure about her decision for further counselling. An abortion in Canada today consists of a surgical procedure in which a doctor removes the embryo or fetus and placental tissue from the woman's uterus.