Planned Parenthood in Iowa implemented a pilot program in 2008 that helps women living in rural areas obtain easier access to abortion pill medication. Previously a woman might be faced with traveling 100 miles or more for either a surgical or non-surgical abortion procedure. But if the current program continues, it may pave the way for similar programs in rural counties across the nation.
Telemedicine Benefits Remote Areas
Although the applications of telemedicine are varied, its greatest advantage is for people living in communities isolated from healthcare. A medical specialist can consult with a patient many miles away via audio-visual terminals, so that the patient can be both seen and heard during the examination.
A woman seeking an abortion will first be examined by a nurse who is present on site. The examination usually includes a blood test, medical history, ultrasound and pre-abortion counseling. A qualified doctor at a remote location then reviews the patient's information. If the doctor determines there is no health risk, the doctor will cause a door to unlock at the patient's location that dispenses the combination of pills used in medical abortion. The pills, known generically as mifespristone and misoprostol, are ingested separately to bring about an abortion without surgical intervention.
Rural Counties Lack Abortion Clinics
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights group, 87 percent of all U.S. counties have no abortion provider. Telemedicine allows rural women to have a non-surgical abortion without the possible hours-long drive to find a clinic in an urban area. Abortions are seldom routinely performed in hospitals any longer, and the number of abortion clinics has dwindled since 2000.
Anti-Abortionists Oppose Abortion by Any Means
Remote dispensing of abortion medications may prove a boon to rural women, but is also hotly opposed by anti-abortion groups. The groups contest the legality of telemedicine used for non-surgical abortion, stating that a physician must be physically present for even the most routine examination prior to an abortion. Other concerns raised are the safety of returning home to take medication and awaiting the effects of abortion, miles from any type of medical facility. Anti-abortionists fear that telemedicine will help continue promoting abortion as a viable option.
Telemedicine on Trial
The burgeoning growth and far-reaching health benefits of telemedicine are undisputed by both pro-choice and anti-abortion groups. However, remote dispensing of abortion medications has added a new, incendiary element to an already scorching controversy. Telemedicine has the capability of increasing the number of abortions accomplished by the non-surgical method, and bringing abortion services to previously underserved areas. The ever-changing abortion debate continues to evolve, but the jury is still out as to whether telemedicine will have abortion's biggest impact.
Source:
Guttmacher Institute, Facts on Induced Abortion in the United States, In Brief, New York: Guttmacher Institute, 2010
Sara Alexander - Journalism degree: Kent State University, Kent, Ohio Licenses: 20 states; Property & Casualty, mobile and manufactured home My heart ...
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