Expanding Access to Telehealth for Medication Abortion Care in a Constrained Policy Environment

Co-authors: Dana Northcraft and Emily Schacter

Abortion is safe and an essential health service.¹ For more than 20 years, drugs have been used to safely perform early pregnancy abortions, using two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. Since 2020, more than 50% of abortions have been performed using medication, and medication abortion methods are increasingly preferred among pregnant people.²

From interviews and roundtable workshops with stakeholders representing policy experts, abortion and reproductive health providers, nonprofits, investors, and telehealth companies, we learned that even in a highly constrained policy environment, , identified five concrete actions to expand access to TMAB care around the world. Near future:

1. Improving public understanding of the safety and effectiveness of TMAB care.
2. Address regulatory barriers to telehealth, including TMAB care.
3. Improve the overall economics and coverage of TMAB care.
4. Train providers in TMAB care to expand the supply of providers.and
5. Establish referral channels and education about TMAB services.

This overview examines practical, near-term opportunities to increase individuals’ access to TMAB care when abortion is legal. Although the focus of this overview is on his TMAB care, many of the action steps described here can reduce barriers not only to abortion but to care in general and further increase access to other sensitive services. can. For a more thorough examination of these issues and additional actions, please see the complete summary available here.

_{¹ “Abortion is medical care” American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists https://www.acog.org/advocacy/facts-are- important/abortion-is-healthcare#:~:text=Induced%20abortion%20is%20an%20essential,undue%20interference%20by%20outside%20parties.}

_{² Rachel K. Jones et al., “Medical abortions now account for more than half of all abortions in the United States.” Guttmacher Institute, September 12, 2023. https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2022/02/medication-abortion-now-accounts-more-half-all-us-abortions.}