By Hayden Sledge, CWA Communications Intern
In early 2020, 13 states participated in an at-home, mail-in chemical abortion pilot program called TelAbortion. And because of COVID-19 and the rise of telemedicine, the push for and the attempt to normalize unsupervised chemical abortions was felt across the nation.
The staunch repercussions of COVID-19 are real. There has been loss of life, business closures, and continued closures of schools. Nevertheless, abortion accessibility is easier due to the normalization of telemedicine during a global pandemic. Telemedicine is a way for patients to interact with a healthcare provider without in-person contact. Its sole purpose is to allow for more efficient medical responses, a way for people to receive “care” faster. This could be helpful for small concerns, like a cold. However, telemedicine can be incredibly dangerous, especially in the context of chemical abortions. The TelAbortion project should have been used as a rubric to study the devastating impact on mother and child when abortion-inducing drugs are allowed to be self-administered. Chemical abortions are violent, dangerous, and should not be happening, let alone without the presence of a medical professional.
The whole point of chemical abortion via telemedicine is to make abortion easier. Self-administered chemical abortions allow women to end their pregnancy without being in a physical office, like in the context of their own home or dorm room. A woman can abort her child at home by taking two pills. During this process, the mother will have a virtual meeting with a healthcare provider but never has to see her medical provider in person. The mother may do a few tests at a lab, but she does not have to physically interact with a licensed professional.
Obstetrics & Gynecology claim that telemedicine for abortion “Is noninferior to in-person provision with regard to clinically significant adverse events.” It is illogical to think that in-person care with a doctor is equitable to that of an online appointment. Even those who are supportive of abortion access must recognize this flawed process. Former advisor to the director of the Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Patrina Mosley, notes, “Pretending for ideological reasons that chemical abortion can be done remotely or even as a do-it-yourself, is extremely dangerous and negligent.’”
Many pro-abortion advocates claim that they are supporting the mother through abortion accessibility; however, there is no care given. Distressed mothers are sent home with chemical cocktails to end the life of their unborn children. To fully recognize the dangers of abortion via telemedicine, it is important to understand the chemical abortion process.
For the mother to end her pregnancy, she takes Mifepristone (RU-486). This pill blocks progesterone, which inevitably cuts off food from the baby and ends its life. A day or two later, she then takes the second pill Misoprostol. This triggers blood flow so that she passes the baby. Women will experience a series of symptoms, like abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even death.[1] She could be bleeding for about 9-16 days. However, there is no healthcare provider overseeing the process. If the woman suffers a complication, there is no guarantee that another person is caring for her. It is highly likely that she is enduring the hard and depressing process alone.
Many women will have to watch as their child’s remains fall into a toilet. This is horrific and significantly takes a toll on the woman’s mental well-being. Abortion increases womens’ chances of struggling with mental health issues and substance abuse. Women who have abortions are “34% more likely to develop an anxiety disorder, 37% more likely to experience depression, 110% more likely to abuse alcohol, 155% more likely to commit suicide, 220% more likely to abuse marijuana.”[2]
Although there are a series of factors that affects a person’s mental health, it is simply false to claim that abortion does not significantly contribute to a woman’s mental well-being. Witnessing the loss of one’s child could be deeply traumatizing. However, the American Psychiatric Association claims just that, that these mental health concerns are due to other factors, somehow arguing that they are not due to abortion.
It should also be noted that the research on chemical abortion is not reliable. DANCO, the company that produces Mifepristone and Misoprostol, is one of the leading contributors for chemical abortion research, which is clearly a conflict of interest. Furthermore, it is important to question abortion affirming research. It is also important to recognize that abortion has become exasperated due to increased telemedicine during a global pandemic.
Because of telemedicine, chemical abortion has become available in new areas. Many abortion providers used COVID as an excuse to encourage more abortion access.
It is important to be cognizant of the deceptive language used by providers, claiming that their pro-abortion agenda is simply a COVID-19 accommodation as “modified medication abortion procedures to minimize travel and potential COVID-19 exposure for patients and staff.” Abortion clinics also claim that they are too far away from college campuses. And now college campuses are starting to provide chemical abortions. California has already passed legislation to enforce public colleges to administer chemical abortions. It should be noted that almost $10.2 million in private funds are helping prepare and facilitate these chemical abortions.
The push to normalize at-home chemical abortions has become more concerning under the Biden Administration. We cannot forget that Biden’s Administration is planning to give 19 times more to abortion and abortion businesses than the Obama Administration.
As businesses and schools reopen and life begins to return to normal, a question arises, “How do we protect mothers and save lives by curbing at-home chemical abortions?”
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[1] Dr. Levatino and Live Action, “Abortion Procedures,” Abortion Procedures, a project of Live Action, https://www.abortionprocedures.com/aspiration/#1466797067815-ef6545f9-db0b.
[2] Editorial Staff, “How does abortion affect mental health,” Laguna Treatment Hospital, last updated May 27, 2020, https://lagunatreatment.com/support-for-women/mental-health-abortion/.