Planned Parenthood Will Launch 10 New Video Chat (Telemedicine) Abortion Locations in 2018. Full Article
Planned Parenthood will expand Telemedicine Abortion services across America.
Telemedicine medical abortion has become appealing to Planned Parenthood because it reduces the cost burden of the clinics. The doctor is never physically present. Instead, he consults with the pregnant woman via the webcam and then remotely activates a drawer that opens to dispense the abortion pills. After drugs are dispensed, the patient likely never sees that physician again. Full Article
Now the rates of medical abortions rival those of surgical abortions in the U.S. [5]
But is this safe and low risk? “Their data shows the number of follow-up visits and emergency room visits are much higher for women having telemed abortions – the procedure has four times more risk of complications.”
However, citing safety concerns, 37 states currently require clinicians who perform medication abortions to be licensed physicians and 19 states require that the clinician providing a medical abortion be physically present during the procedure, thereby prohibiting the use of telemedicine to prescribe medication for abortion remotely.[6]