Access to safe abortions in B.C. still needs improvement, experts say

As conversations continue over overturning abortion legalization across the U.S., experts in B.C. say while Canadians may feel secure in their rights, there remain several barriers.

Dr. Sarah Munro with the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology says she knows there is still work to be done.

“When you get into rural and remote communities, and some places where it’s a little more conservative, access to abortion or the willingness even of physicians to identify as a provider is limited,” she said, referencing the rights doctors have in B.C. to make a personal choice not to provide a treatment or procedure based on their values and beliefs.

In those circumstances, if care cannot be provided locally, it could be a long and expensive trip to get help, especially for those who live in northern B.C. or in remote communities only accessible by boat.

“When you think about racialized folks, you think about Indigenous folks, and you think about folks that are differently abled access on demand is something that we need, so that people are not limited by those other things.”

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She says research is constantly ongoing in how to provide better care to everyone and one of the biggest turning points has been telehealth, which means someone can speak with a physician online. She says unpublished data suggests nearly half of abortions are medical abortions, and applauds that they are more widely available, however there are still limits.

“When you consider that medication abortion, which allows someone to take a pill in the comfort of their own home in a time that works for them is only applicable in people who are pregnant under 10 weeks it means that, you know, we need access to that quickly, and if people have to travel … It certainly makes it more challenging,” she said.

“What we know is that whether there’s access to abortion or bans on abortion, the number of abortions tend to be the same. So what that means is that people that don’t want to be pregnant will find a way to not be pregnant, and it may be at the risk of their own life,” she said.

MLA Grace Lor advocated for improving access to resources across the province, especially outside of urban areas like Vancouver.

“Our government has taken important steps to support access to safe abortions, including providing universal no cost access to medical abortion and stocking it in rural pharmacies. There is more to do, especially access to abortions in rural areas and our government will continue to work to support and improve access across the province,” Lor said in the Legislature Tuesday.

Michelle Fortin, executive director at Options for Sexual Health says there are sometimes challenges for those who don’t live near bigger cities.

“One of the biggest issues though around this is the pressure that it puts on people who have fewer resources — often that’s racialized folks, often that is single parents,” she explained, adding oftentimes abortions are sought by people who are already parents, suggesting other factors, such as cost, play a major role in decision making.

“People who are already trying to make ends meet and support the children that they have are going to be forced to travel farther, are going to be forced to access backroom opportunities, or they’re going to have to break the law.”

Adding, “People who do not want to be pregnant will find a way to not be pregnant.”