'wake-up call': organizations that support abortion in canada feeling some effects of u.s. ruling
experts predict pressure across all borders — even interprovincial borders.
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by: elizabeth payne organizations that support abortion services in canada say it is too soon to know whether many americans will seek abortion services in canada after last week’s u.s. supreme court ruling that overturned the right to an abortion there, but they are already seeing ripple effects.
jaisie walker, executive director of planned parenthood ottawa, said the organization began receiving more calls for information about abortion as soon as an earlier draft of the scotus abortion ruling was leaked last month.
those calls included people hoping to support friends in the u.s. who might not have access to abortion.
walker said some people have always crossed the canada-u.s. border to access abortion — including canadians going to the u.s. they said there could be more people coming to canada as a result of the ruling.
that could make it more difficult to keep wait times down for abortion and other health services here.
“in general, there will be pressure across all borders,” walker said. that includes interprovincial borders.
but one of the biggest expected impacts will likely be to put further pressure on health professionals who provide abortion services. many are already hesitant to be public about it for fear they will be targeted for harassment. walker said the u.s. ruling “sets a precedent for what is possible” and that it will likely embolden people who oppose abortion in canada, increasing fear among providers and users.
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some canadian health professionals appear to have decided to do more to make sure canadians have access to the medical abortion drug mifegymiso after the u.s. ruling.
jill doctoroff, executive director of the national abortion federation (naf) canada, said over the weekend some 70 healthcare providers signed up to take the organization’s web-based course on medical abortion. usually, a few people might sign up over the same period of time. she said the massive increase in interest is related to the u.s. abortion ruling.
“i think because people have heard what is happening in the u.s. they want to do something. if you are a health professional, it has been a big wakeup call,” she said. “seeing that something like this happen, people can feel angry, upset and powerless.”
helping to improve access to abortion services in canada, doctoroff said, is something concrete that health professionals can do.
naf offers education and training for health-care professionals who provide or are interested in providing abortion care as well as patient support for those facing barriers accessing abortion care.
organizations that support or provide abortion services have said they would not support abortion legislation in canada and that the status quo means abortion remains a treatment under the canada health act.
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but doctoroff and others say lack of reasonable access to abortion for people in some parts of canada continues to be an issue. the u.s. supreme court ruling should serve as a wakeup call that abortion services should not be taken for granted in canada and should be available to everyone who wants them, she said.
improved access to medical abortion should help that, doctoroff said.
she said it is still unknown whether many americans will come to canada for abortion services they can no longer get at home. that would likely affect the provinces of manitoba and saskatchewan the most, she said.
doctoroff noted that many of the people hardest hit by the u.s. ruling are marginalized and racialized and are unlikely to have the resources or the ability to travel a long distance for an abortion.
“i am sure there will be some people who are well resourced and able to travel who might have a family member in canada. but are we going to see a huge volume? it is hard to say.”
insiya mankani, public affairs officer with action canada for sexual health rights, agreed that it is still too early to know the number of people who might cross the canadian boarder in search of abortion services in canada.
she said action canada would like to see the federal government make sure there are no barriers to people in canada receiving abortion services.
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in some provinces, especially in rural areas, abortion services are few and people might have to travel a distance, she said. and in some ontario clinics, people are charged an administration fee that can be up to $400 dollars.
“we would love to see that covered under ohip.”
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