Three clinics in Ottawa perform medical abortions

Planned Parenthood Ottawa will "advise" women on medical abortions.

An intern working for PPO tells us that you can pay $1500-$2000 for a medical abortion if you don't have OHIP. Pretty steep price for dismembering, decapitating and disemboweling your pre-born child.

She also tells us that there are three clinics in Ottawa who do medical abortions. I wonder where they are?

This post was written by Katie, our Programming Intern for the 2013-14 school year. She took some time to research the availability of medical abortion in the Ottawa area and wanted to share the info with our readers.

Many people in Ottawa don’t know what types of abortion services our city offers. The main assumption is that the only way a person can have an abortion is if it is done surgically. It may surprise you to know that abortions can also be done medically, which is to say with medication. That said, a medical abortion can only be performed if you are eight weeks pregnant or less.

Medical abortion may be a better option for people who worry about surgical abortion being too invasive. The procedure is a lot more private. In fact, you can insert the pills (they’re suppositories) in the comfort of your own home. At most medical abortion clinics, there is no referral from a doctor required – the ultrasound and blood work can be done right there in the clinic. But medical abortions are not entirely free. If you’re an Ontario resident, OHIP will cover the cost of the visit (ultrasound, blood work), but you have to pay for the prescription, which costs about $50-60. If you do not have a valid OHIP card, a medical abortion can cost $1500-2000.

You are given the prescription from the nurse or doctor at the clinic and need to drop by a pharmacy to fill the prescription.Once you’re ready, insert the five tablets vaginally and lie down for an hour. You have to repeat the process 12 hours later. During the following few days, it will feel as though you are having a heavy period. Bleeding is often heavier than a normal menstruation, and there are sometimes blood clots in the discharge. The longer the pregnancy has developed, the more cramps and bleeding there will be. When the abortion is complete, the bleeding and the cramps will begin to diminish. Follow up visits at the clinic are usually between 1.5-2 weeks after the abortion to determine whether the termination is complete.

There are 3 clinics in Ottawa that offer medical abortions, and you can get their contact info by calling Planned Parenthood Ottawa at 613-226-3234. You can also contact Canadians for Choice at 1-888-642-2725 or info@canadiansforchoice.ca if you’re interested in info on financial assistance for abortion procedures (for the procedure itself or for travel or accommodation related to the procedure). The National Abortion Federation of Canada has info on who provides medical and surgical abortions across Canada, and they can be reached at 1-877-257-0012.

Don’t hesitate to contact any of these organizations if you have any questions.