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The process only requires an internet connection: patients go online and answer some HIPAA-compliant questions about their pregnancy, such as when the first day of their last period was. If it’s a simple case, it’s doctor-approved – there are seven American doctors in 15 states – and the medicine comes in a few days. In places like Texas where Aid Access doesn’t have doctors in the state, Aid Access founder Rebecca Gomperts prescribes drugs from Europe where she’s located. Pitney says this could take about three weeks.
The ability to have a safe, confidential abortion at home with just an internet connection can be life-changing for Texans and others in need. “It really changed the face of abortion access,” says co-founder Elisa Wells. Plan Cprovides information and training on how to access pills.
In Texas, the need is particularly acute because cultural stigma and a current history of restrictive laws mean that very few in-person clinics exist. Before the last law change, Texans Three times more likely than the national average to use abortion pills, because abortion clinics were far away.
“In a situation like Texas where major access roads are almost completely cut off, that’s the solution,” says Wells, who describes much of Texas as an “abortion desert.” Black and Hispanic people often have less access to medical care and therefore no online access to abortion pills. vital for these communities.
They’re also much cheaper than medical abortions, with most pills costing between $105 and $150 plus an online consultation required depending on the state you live in. (Aid Access will forgive some or all of the payment if needed.)
However, while they are widely prescribed in other countries (for example, they are used in about 90% of abortions in France and Scotland), only 40 percent of American abortions use the pill. In fact, using the pill to “self-administer abortion” in the US can lead to criminal charges in at least 20 states, including Texas, and has been the basis of the situation. 21 people have been arrested since 2000. Aid Access’s use of Gomperts to prescribe as a foreign doctor Under federal investigation by the FDA, which group is challenged. The situation remains unresolved.
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