Progressives failed Canadian women on the abortion pill

The struggle to get Canadian women a good non-surgical option for abortion received little attention for years

Jamie Sarkonak, National Post
Jun 30, 2022

Before 2017, nearly all Canadian women seeking abortions had to undergo surgery, while women elsewhere could choose medication to induce a miscarriage.

For decades, Canada didn’t have the “gold standard” abortion pill, mifepristone (also known as RU-486, or Mifegymiso). After being used in France for 30 years and the United States for 15, the abortion pill was finally approved in Canada in 2015 under Stephen Harper’s Conservatives, becoming available to the public in 2017. Among progressive politicians, only Thomas Mulcair’s New Democratic Party had pressed the issue. The Liberals did nothing. On the last major front for Canadian abortion rights, progressive politicians were largely silent.

Continued: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/jamie-sarkonak-progressives-failed-canadian-women-on-the-abortion-pill

30.06.2022

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Easing restrictions on abortion pill greatly improved access to care in Canada

UBC-led study offers lessons for other nations on deregulating mifepristone

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, Research News
NEWS RELEASE 14-SEP-2020

Removing restrictions on how mifepristone--the medical abortion drug--can be prescribed and dispensed in Canada greatly improved access to abortion, especially in rural communities across the country.

That's one of
the key findings of new University of British Columbia-led research published
today in the Annals of Family Medicine.

Continued: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-09/uobc-ero090920.php

Canada – Abortion pill prescriptions likely to rise after 4,253 women used new option last year

Abortion pill prescriptions likely to rise after 4,253 women used new option last year

By Amanda Connolly, National Online Journalist Global News
April 27, 2018

One year after the abortion pill became available to Canadian women, new numbers show thousands have used the new option for reproductive health care and sexual health experts say they expect that number to keep rising.

Mifegymiso is the commercial name for a two-drug combination approved by Health Canada to be used to terminate early pregnancies up to nine weeks, which was approved in 2015 with tight restrictions but only became available to the public in January 2017.

Continued: https://globalnews.ca/news/4172876/abortion-pill-mifegymiso-canada-how-to-get/

27.04.2018

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Health Canada approves abortion pill use up to nine weeks

Health Canada approves abortion pill use up to nine weeks
Update to product monograph comes after health advocates warned current rules too restrictive

Kyle Duggan and Amanda Connolly
Tuesday, November 7th, 2017

Women seeking an abortion in Canada will now be able to use the abortion pill up to nine weeks into a pregnancy.

Health Canada updated its product monograph for Mifegymiso, the two-drug combination of pills that doctors can prescribe to women who want a medical abortion. The current monograph, approved in July 2015 after years of delays, states that Mifegymiso is safe for use up to seven weeks into a pregnancy — even though most countries that have legalized the abortion pill use a 10-week limit.

Continued: http://ipolitics.ca/2017/11/07/health-canada-approves-abortion-pill-use-up-to-nine-weeks/

Health Canada eases restrictions on abortion pill Mifegymiso

Health Canada eases restrictions on abortion pill Mifegymiso

Sheryl Ubelacker, The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, November 7, 2017 2:34PM EST

TORONTO -- Women who want to use the abortion pill Mifegymiso can now take it farther along in their pregnancy, Health Canada said Tuesday in announcing changes to how the medication is prescribed and dispensed.

The federal department said the abortion pill can now be prescribed up to nine weeks into a pregnancy, rather than the previous limit of seven weeks.

Continued: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/health-canada-eases-restrictions-on-abortion-pill-mifegymiso-1.3667422

07.11.2017