On Thursday, a study found out that those people who are residing in states with stricter abortion laws are increasingly purchasing drugs from online venders.
Data were collected from an online service in Europe that provides pregnant women with two medications for abortion, including misoprostol and mifepristone after a healthcare provider reviews a form completed online by the participants.
Those pregnant women would take their drugs at home and don’t need to visit a doctor or healthcare center.
In 10 months between 2017 and 2018, more than 6,000 women in the United States asked for abortion drugs from the service. Among them, around 65% were the citizens of states with strict laws on abortion.
The highest numbers came from Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. However, demands were in most of the states, even when they have several restrictions.
While there was a wide range of reasons why they purchased abortion drugs online, expenses perhaps played a decisive role.
“We all know that the costs of abortion would be higher when women have to wait so long or undergo several ultrasounds,” said Dr. Abigail Aiken – the author of the study and an assistant professor at UT Austin.
“In those states with support, the fear of harassment from protesters might be the most common trouble. Taking abortion pills can be a safer option than visiting a doctor, especially in the early stages of pregnancy.
Misoprostol and mifepristone have been used since the late 80s for early abortions. There might be some possible side effects, such as fever, heavy bleeding, or pain.
Many doctors believe that is the reason why it is important for pregnant women to have access to follow-up care and information from their healthcare providers in necessary cases.
“Doctors and healthcare providers play an important part in supporting those women who are looking for abortion drugs online,” said a policy manager about reproductive rights.
“The government should make sure that there are many caring options for pregnant women to choose from,” he said. “In other words, they should be able to visit a clinic or doctor to ask for abortion care when needed.”
The use of medications in abortion was approved by the FDA in 2000. These days, it accounts for more than 30% of all cases in the United States.
Nevertheless, the rules state that the medications must be provided in a medical facility. The authorities do not recommend online purchases as those pills might not meet the requirements for manufacturing controls.
Source:
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/17/health/abortion-medication-requests-study/index.html
