Safeguarding and Teleconsultation for Abortion

In response to COVID-19 and measures implemented to control virus transmission, some governments adapted abortion law and policy to ensure access to abortion care through telemedicine.1, 2 In Great Britain, approval orders were issued March 30–31, 2020, making fully remote, no-test, early medical abortion temporarily lawful.3 Professional guidelines were then issued to support providers in offering new remote services.4 Other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries have also temporarily amended policies to enable remote consultation and at-home use of abortion medications: France,1, 2 Ireland,1 and the USA5 (panel). Others have enabled fewer face-to-face consultations, although abortion medications must still be collected or administered in-person—eg, in Estonia and Germany.1 In most Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, however, laws continue to prohibit fully remote abortion provision.