One in six abortions carried out with pills prescribed online, data shows
The first national tally of telehealth abortions includes pills mailed to states banning abortion from clinicians in states with protective laws.
The NewsA growing share of abortions are now administered via telemedicine, with clinicians prescribing abortion pills by mail after online consultations, according to the first national tally of abortions by telehealth in the American medical system. At least one in six abortions, or about 14,000 per month, were performed via telehealth from July to September, the most recent months for which data is available.
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Pills are prescribed by virtual providers only and by clinics that also offer in-person services. Patients complete an online questionnaire or meet with a clinician via video or text chat. This method began nationally in 2020, when the Food and Drug Administration began allowing abortion providers to mail pills without a clinic visit during the pandemic.
Some of the prescriptions included in the new tally went to patients living in states where abortion is banned, a new development made possible by protective laws. These laws protect clinicians in states where abortion is legal when they prescribe and send pills to patients in states where it is not. Safeguard laws were in effect in Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, and Washington during the period covered by the new data, and California has since passed one.
Why it matters< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0"> The growth of telemedicine abortion has made abortion easier and often less expensive for women...
The first national tally of telehealth abortions includes pills mailed to states banning abortion from clinicians in states with protective laws.
The NewsA growing share of abortions are now administered via telemedicine, with clinicians prescribing abortion pills by mail after online consultations, according to the first national tally of abortions by telehealth in the American medical system. At least one in six abortions, or about 14,000 per month, were performed via telehealth from July to September, the most recent months for which data is available.
Open this article in the New York Times Audio app on iOS.
Pills are prescribed by virtual providers only and by clinics that also offer in-person services. Patients complete an online questionnaire or meet with a clinician via video or text chat. This method began nationally in 2020, when the Food and Drug Administration began allowing abortion providers to mail pills without a clinic visit during the pandemic.
Some of the prescriptions included in the new tally went to patients living in states where abortion is banned, a new development made possible by protective laws. These laws protect clinicians in states where abortion is legal when they prescribe and send pills to patients in states where it is not. Safeguard laws were in effect in Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, and Washington during the period covered by the new data, and California has since passed one.
Why it matters< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0"> The growth of telemedicine abortion has made abortion easier and often less expensive for women...What's Your Reaction?
