But wait.

Abortion is taxpayer funded, so who does “cheaper” really benefit? If the government is pushing something because its budget-friendly, can I trust that it’s in my best interests?

“Done in the comfort of your own home” sounds a lot like a euphemism for “do-it-yourself abortion.” I thought we wanted to move away from back alley abortions, where women handle things themselves. If abortion is a medical procedure, shouldn’t a medical expert be involved?

At least it is proven effective. But what if I change my mind, and want to keep my baby? Will I be able to get a prescription for an abortion reversal, or will it be too late because this medication is just so effective?
No ultrasound. This is great – I live in a rural community and might not be able to access one quickly. But, we’re trusting that my estimated date is accurate, that I am definitely 9 weeks pregnant or less, that this pregnancy is absolutely in my uterus, not ectopic. I appreciate the confidence in my awareness of my own body, but I’m not sure I’m willing to stake my life on it. Will it be safe for me to take the pill if I’m actually 12 weeks pregnant? If I start hemorrhaging, what do I do? I don’t have great access to emergency care, and it could be awhile before an ambulance gets to me.

The abortion pill comes with a lot of questions, and not a lot of good answers. Abortion activists focus on Mifegymiso as a way to increase abortion access, especially in rural and remote communities. Since these communities often have lower income women and the least access to ultrasound machines and doctors, they advocate for the removal of “barriers.” This means ensuring the pills are provincially funded, eliminating the need for an ultrasound prior to getting a prescription, and allowing pharmacists, nurses and nurse practitioners to prescribe the medication.

Activists have been very effective in removing perceived barriers to access for the abortion pill. Despite these successful efforts, however, recent reports find that access still remains centred in abortion clinics as the main prescribers. While prescribing pills may be less invasive than inserting a vacuum into a woman’s uterus, the outcome is exactly the same: the death of a human child at some stage of development. A simple fact that abortion activists do not want to accept is that most doctors, whatever their reasons may be, do not want to be abortion providers, regardless of the means. Abortion pill usage rates are climbing, but they are being prescribed by the same people who were doing the surgical abortions, sometimes to the demise of surgical business. It remains to be seen whether this continues; if so, the pill is only a change in method, not prevalence.

As pill usage rates climb and safeguards are eliminated, there is much reason for concern. Moving abortion to our homes will only increase the sense of isolation and sole responsibility women feel when facing an unplanned crisis pregnancy. Many women cite a feeling of desperation when they discover they are unexpectedly pregnant. Desperation and isolation are not something anyone should be promoting for Canadian women. While the abortion pill purports to give women more control over the abortion experience, in fact it further puts the onus of pregnancy (and, by association, child-rearing) on them alone.

As a culture we have dehumanized and devalued pre-born children. Advocating for ubiquitous access to Mifegymiso devalues women as well, by taking a “do-it-yourself” attitude to a life and death issue, and leaving women to deal with the consequences.

Cheap, convenient and highly effective – Mifegymiso is what every medication should be. So, if it wasn’t for the loss of pre-born human life and the lack of caring for women’s health and well-being, I would be totally on board.

Currently, medical abortions make up only a small percentage of abortions in Canada. They are expected to increase as access to and funding for the abortion pill increases. Changes were introduced late last year to allow the drug to be prescribed up to nine weeks into a pregnancy and, as of November 2017, doctors no longer need special training on the drug to be able to dispense it.

A common accusation against pro-lifers is that we care only about babies before they are born – not women, mothers, or born children. Pro-choice activists talk about the desperation women feel in an unplanned pregnancy and cite drastic, dangerous measures they may take to end their pregnancy if “safe and legal” abortion is not readily available.

Even if you take no position in the abortion debate, you’ve likely heard stories of coat hangers and back alley abortions that make you shudder. As the DC Abortion Fund states, “The coat hanger is a reminder of women’s suffering when abortion is placed out of reach.” Perhaps, like them, you believe that this is sufficient justification for abortion on demand, regardless of whether abortion is morally wrong.

This is where the discussion gets interesting, because abortion advocates LOVE the abortion pill. This, they say, is the answer to accessibility. Women on Waves, which runs an “abortion ship” in international waters and sends drones carrying abortion pills into countries with strict abortion laws, says, “We witness the creation of an underground network of emboldened, informed activists, working at the cutting edge of global reproductive rights, who trust women to handle abortion themselves.”

Trust women to handle abortion themselves.

The same groups that decry restrictions that might drive women to undertake their own abortions are advocating for private, self-administered abortions via pills.

Mifegymiso’s promoters point to it as the answer for women without the financial means or social support needed to travel for an abortion, take time off work, or arrange care for other children. The abortion pill allows every woman to access an abortion from her family doctor, her pharmacist, a walk-in clinic, or even over the phone or internet.

Its promoters see only “barriers to access” in things like mandatory ultrasounds to determine the gestational age of the child or mandatory training for medical professionals on the risks of the drug. But the “restrictions” are designed to protect women’s health and safety.

If the pregnancy is too far along, the pills can cause hemorrhaging or other complications. Why would you take the risk of skipping a dating ultrasound if you truly cared about the mother’s best interests? The pill’s advocates claim such “barriers” would stall access for women in remote areas. But these are the same women who will have the least access to emergency medical care when complications occur. Convenience, cost and accessibility do not trump safety and accountability. No one is suggesting everyone in remote areas be allowed to self-prescribe penicillin for their own ear infections, despite how convenient that would be.

Requiring special training for doctors ensured that they could properly inform their patients. Fully informing them should include telling them about the abortion reversal pill, should they change their mind. Instead, Mifegymiso’s promoters favour access without properly trained personnel, fully informed patients, or even a face to face visit with the doctor.

Essentially, abortion advocates support a return to secretive, do-it-yourself abortions. A Vancouver clinic, for example, promotes the abortion pills as a way to pass off your at-home abortion as a miscarriage to others. Though abortion advocates encourage people to break stigma by sharing their abortion stories with pride, they cannot help but recognize the reality that most women have a natural desire to hide their “choice” of abortion.

As Frederica Matthewes-Green said, “There is a tremendous sadness and loneliness in the cry ‘A woman’s right to choose.’ No one wants an abortion as she wants an ice-cream cone or a Porsche. She wants an abortion as an animal, caught in a trap, wants to gnaw off its own leg.”

The advocacy efforts of pro-lifers don’t promote back alley abortions or encourage desperate women to procure their own abortion. Quite the opposite – it’s the promoters of abortion pills who are encouraging a climate of secrecy and shame. Meanwhile, we as a pro-life movement will continue advocating for women, seeking out long-term social and financial support that enable a woman to mother confidently and securely, and advancing laws that respect the inherent value of life from its earliest stages.