It took two and a half years, but Health Canada has finally given RU-486, widely regarded as the abortion pill, the green light.
The drug will be sold under the brand name Mifegymiso and can be used safely as late as 70 days into a pregnancy, though Health Canada may impose an earlier limit on its use. Women will need a doctor’s prescription to purchase the pill, which will be available early next year.
Reproductive medicine experts consider RU-486 the most effective option for abortion and have long been pushing for its approval in Canada. It’s been available to women in France for over a quarter of a century, as well as in more conservative countries like Russia, Tunisia, China, Vietnam, and India.
“Mifepristone holds the promise of improving access to abortion care for women in more rural communities where there isn’t a current abortion provider,” says National Abortion Federation President and CEO Vicki Saporta. As it stands, only health-care professionals who already provide abortion services will be able to prescribe the drug.
A decision that grants women control over something that so significantly affects their bodies and health is undoubtedly a good one.
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