Abortion pills available by mail in Washington, but access isn’t equitable

Early in the pandemic, reproductive health workers lead a push to make at-home abortion available to more Washington women. This is what happened.

By Megan Burbank, Crosscut

Published: November 1, 2021, 6:02am

FILE - Misoprostol drug, the most common abortion pill, sits on a gynecological table at Casa Fusa, a health center that advises women on reproductive issues and performs legal abortions in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. Misoprostol empties the uterus by causing cramping and bleeding. The drugs are approved for use by the FDA up to 10 weeks of gestation. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano, File)

In April, the Biden administration reversed a Trump-era requirement that made it impossible for doctors to remotely prescribe mifepristone, one of two drugs commonly used in medication abortion. The decision made abortion care accessible in the same way other forms of health care have been since March 2020, when clinicians pivoted to telehealth during the pandemic.

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