Early Medical Abortion, Equality of Access, and the Telemedical Imperative

Book excerpt: Telemedicine has recently become a key focus of healthcare systems globally, heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased need for remote care pathways. Implementing telemedicine can bring myriad benefits for both patients and providers, and has the potential to make a huge impact by improving access to abortion care. In both the United Kingdom and United States, abortion is heavily regulated--exceptionally so when compared to other routine healthcare. This regulation has had the impact of exacerbating the social and geographical circumstances that can make access to abortion services difficult. This book examines telemedical provision of early medical abortion, alongside the access barriers created by laws in the United Kingdom and United States. It critically appraises a series of developments in this rapidly evolving subject, providing an up-to-date and well-informed analysis. In doing so, it argues that there is a moral imperative to introduce, retain, or reinstate (as applicable) telemedical early medical abortion.