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Entry to telehealth abortion care can decide whether or not an individual can acquire an abortion in the USA. For younger individuals and people residing on low incomes, telehealth makes a important distinction in getting well timed abortion care.
These are the important thing findings from our current research printed within the American Journal of Public Health and the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
We surveyed 1,600 individuals throughout the nation who accessed telehealth abortion in 2021 and 2022, previous to the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision in June 2022 that led to abortion bans in much of the U.S. South and Midwest.
Telehealth abortion, which has been broadly accessible within the U.S. solely since 2021, permits sufferers to be evaluated remotely by a licensed supplier and, if medically eligible, obtain abortion drugs within the mail. Our analysis has proven that this type of abortion care is extremely safe.
Almost all of the sufferers we surveyed had optimistic experiences with telehealth abortion: They had been glad, trusted their telehealth supplier, felt cared for and felt telehealth was the correct resolution. Our analysis reveals that for a lot of sufferers, telehealth gives essential advantages over abortion care from a clinic.
Why it issues
Since 14 states have banned abortion as of January 2024 following the Dobbs resolution, sufferers have been traveling long distances to access care. This places elevated strain on clinics in states the place abortion stays authorized.
Analysis has proven that the implications of abortion bans are extremely unequal. Folks of coloration, younger individuals and people residing on decrease incomes are disproportionately affected by abortion restrictions. These are the identical individuals who stand to profit essentially the most from entry to telehealth abortion.
Almost 1 in 10 abortions within the U.S. are now done via telehealth. On the identical time, entry to telehealth abortion is beneath menace. The Supreme Court docket will determine on the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA case in 2024, which might restrict entry to telehealth abortion throughout the nation.
Whereas there’ll all the time be a necessity for in-person abortion care, and plenty of sufferers choose it, our analysis reveals that telehealth could make a important distinction for a lot of. Telehealth can convey an in any other case unattainable abortion inside attain, particularly for individuals who have been underserved in well being care. Restrictions on telehealth abortion threaten equitable abortion entry.
Telehealth permits sufferers to keep away from a major quantity of journey to an abortion clinic, which has turn into prohibitively tough as abortion clinics have closed in record numbers. Avoiding journey could make abortion care way more accessible with out the necessity to prepare for transport, break day from work and little one care. Telehealth abortion appointments are often accessible sooner, and in lots of instances they’re extra inexpensive than abortion care from a clinic. Telehealth additionally permits sufferers to inform fewer individuals about their abortion resolution.
After we requested individuals what would have occurred if they’d not been in a position to have a telehealth abortion, 43% of these we surveyed stated they’d not have been in a position to get a well timed abortion with out telehealth.
This was extra more likely to be true for younger individuals, these residing on decrease incomes, these residing in rural areas and people who lived removed from an abortion clinic. Whereas solely 2% of sufferers stated they’d have continued the being pregnant if they’d not had entry to telehealth abortion, we anticipate that this proportion would have been considerably greater if we replicated this examine after Dobbs.
What’s subsequent
Our future analysis will take a look at the structural adjustments vital to make sure that the advantages of telehealth abortion can be found equitably. We will even take a look at how one can tailor telehealth abortion in order that it reaches individuals traditionally excluded from well being care.
The Research Brief is a brief tackle attention-grabbing tutorial work.
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