COVID-19 Reduced Access to Abortion with Pills & We Need to Learn from it
By: Swati Saxena
Tags: Abortion With Pills, Abortion Pills, Abortion

Abortions with pills, otherwise known as medical abortions, have been one of the cornerstone methodologies used by women across the globe, taking back ownership of their right to choose. During the global pandemic, the value of abortion pills has become even more clear, but restrictions and legislation have threatened women’s access to this necessary service, forcing many of them into a corner, and further highlighting the need for abortions to be included in all comprehensive healthcare frameworks.

Much like any other world-altering phenomenon, COVID-19 has revealed the gaps in service delivery regarding abortions. The pandemic brought everything to a halt. Resource re-allocation was being utilized to ensure the world at large could hopefully get past the reality we all face today. Imposed restrictions affected access to abortions, which was already limited in resources. Whether abortions with pills or in-clinic abortions, the service has become increasingly difficult to access in the era of COVID-19.

The supply of abortion pills has dwindled

At safe2choose.org, one of our key components is counseling services. This resource we provide has allowed many women in the past to gain access to information to ensure safe abortions but has also served a point of information for us, to understand how to address the challenges facing women adequately. The sheer magnitude of the impact of COVID-19 on a service that was already very limited has become increasingly poignant in these interactions.

Many women have noted not being able to access the pills when they wish to have an abortion — a route that was otherwise key to allowing women in regions with strict legislation and stigma to access to abortions. The lockdown restrictions have meant that many women do not have access to clinics and pharmacies because of the limited movement permitted causing more of them to seek abortions later on their gestational cycle, sometimes eliminating the abortion with pills option. Even if women have access to these facilities, many centers have not placed abortion pills as their top priority, an action that is directly tied to strict abortion legislation. As a result, the supply of abortion pills has dwindled, limiting the choice of those who would have otherwise benefited from this service.

A lack of access to pharmacies and clinics has also meant that women seeking help when having an abortion at home cannot ask the medical professionals they would have otherwise visited with complications or a need for clarification. Many nations across the world require the disbursement of prescription for abortion pills, and although telemedicine options, such as that offered by safe2choose, seek to circumvent some issues presented by the pandemic, legislation that requires a prescription often means that women can only seek abortions when they have access to a medical doctor.

Medical abortions generally are a safe procedure, but in very rare cases, some further medical attention may be needed. It is in these moments that women are in need of medical assistance, but the restriction of access to these facilities complicates the process for an otherwise non-life-threatening issue.

And the lack of access to medical abortions does not end at supply

An unintended impact of COVID-19 that has also limited women’s access to abortions is the need for many to shelter at home, staying in proximity with people they otherwise would have only seen occasionally. Many people moved back home with family members to save costs, or to be in the company of loved ones during this unprecedented time. However, what this has meant is those who would have the privacy to have an abortion with pills may not be afforded the same luxury anymore, further complicating the process.

Women who have sought our counseling service have noted difficulty with having an abortion with pills at home with family members constantly present. Despite a range in legislation across the globe, there is no mistaking that stigma surrounding abortions is still rampant. This has meant that when women hope to have a medical abortion at home, they face the scrutiny of family members, and even if they can access a clinic, they will also have to explain their movement due to the strict rules placed on leaving the home.

Furthermore, restrictive legislation in many countries has forced women to travel across the border to access a safe service. With the closure of borders and limitations on travel, this option is not available, and many women have been forced into a corner. Even if the movement is permitted, the same issue as is faced in close living quarters arises; many questions are asked about said travel, leaving many women with no choice but to go into the shadows of unsafe abortions.

It is increasingly obvious that abortions should be part of essential healthcare services

If in the middle of a pandemic or not, abortions will always occur. If people are engaging in sexual intercourse, the need for abortions will persist, and the pandemic has revealed to us the importance of having this service as a part of essential healthcare. Strict legislation propagates stigma and relegates abortion services as a luxury that should not be available to everyone. What COVID-19 has given us access to is a magnified perspective of the lived consequences of this legislation and stigma worldwide.

We can not erase the effects of this pandemic, it has hit the world in ways we could have only imagined, and we will have to live with the complications that have arisen because of its existence. However, we can learn and commit to changing the world as we know it, to ensure a better future for everyone. It is of the utmost importance that lawmakers, healthcare practitioners, and everyone in between re-prioritize increasing access to safe abortions. A commitment to improving healthcare access generally should include access to abortions in order to protect the lives of those, who we have seen through the lens of COVID-19, have been ignored.

You can learn more about abortions with pills on the safe2choose site or get in touch with our counselors at info@safe2choose.org