'One of the challenges we face is that. It's really hard to keep up with the existing demand. "
Article Author:
The Washington Post
Amanda Colletta , Washington Post
Toronto — The Women's Health Clinic in Winnipeg has been expanded. This facility is one of the few abortion clinics in Manitoba, Canada's 1.3 million states. It receives about 100 inquiries each week and offers 30% more abortions than government funding.
Some of the inquiries about abortion, even before the US Supreme Court withdrew the Roe v. Wade case, a nearly 50-year-old case that protects the right to abortion across the United States. Was from an American. This month, the clinic, 70 miles from the North Dakota border, where the trigger ban goes into effect, is watching more.
"It's too early to say," said Brandin Tona, the clinic's program director, whether and how many American inquiries will increase. However, even a small number can put a strain on the clinic. "One of the things we do is prepare, including considering whether to provide more abortions each week."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other Canadian leaders have condemned the US Supreme Court's ruling. His government says it won't drive away Americans who can't have an abortion at home. However, due to the long distances between many clinics, providers are growing thin and there are barriers to cross-border travel, which may not be a very solution.
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Canada denounced abortion in 1988, and the right to abortion has gained widespread political support here. However, even if access has improved over decades, access remains restricted outside of major metropolitan areas, depending on travel capabilities.
"We have helped people whose closest abortion providers are a few days away by car," said Jessa Millar, who manages the Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights hotline.
Patients at some female health clinics travel to Winnipeg from Kenora, Ontario, about 130 miles away. TK Pritchard, executive director of the Shore Center, which provides drug abortions in the southwestern city of Kitchener, said it has customers from northern Ontario. Make a reservation in 3-4 weeks.
Since the overthrow of Law, who is interested in accessing abortion in Canada, the center has been called by a small number of people in Michigan, Pritchard said. I said, but it "is really looking for a reservation."
"One of the challenges we have is ... it's very difficult to keep up with the existing demand." Said Pritchard.
When abortion drugs were marketed here in 2017, there was optimism that abortion drugs would help improve access, especially in remote and rural areas. But supporters say it's still spotted.
"Most family doctors don't prescribe it, they just refer it to an abortion clinic," said Mohini Datta-Ray, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Toronto.
Jill Dr. Off, Managing Director of the Canadian Abortion Federation, has enrolled approximately 600 people in training on abortion drug prescribing since its launch in April 2021. Said. The Supreme Court ruling, 70 people registered.
"It shows that one of the implications of the decision is that people are aware that they have access problems in their country and want to do something," she said. Said.
In some states bordering Canada, abortion bans have been implemented or will soon be imposed. In other border states such as Michigan and Montana, the status of abortion rights is uncertain.
Even with improved access in Canada, other barriers such as the need for a passport and the cost of the procedure (which can be as high as US $ 600) can discourage Americans. There is sex. Increase your chances of traveling across borders to other US states.
These costs "will be out of reach for many Americans," said Joyce Arthur, Managing Director of the Canadian Abortion Union. .. "It's still in its infancy and I don't know how it works."
According to the Canadian Institute of Health Information, there were more than 74,000 abortions in Canada in 2020. Most abortions in the country occur during the first semester of pregnancy.
Each state and territory has different gestational limits for dosing and surgical abortion, and there are rules governing when and when parental consent is required.
Government policy has kept the island free of abortion for more than 30 years until 2017, and Prince Edward Island will not have an abortion after about 12 weeks. Islanders are often referred to other Atlantic states, including the neighboring New Brunswick. There, the procedure is covered only if done in one of the three hospitals.
In Canada, abortion after 24 weeks is restricted and a small number of people are sent to the United States each year. A court ruling could jeopardize cross-border travel that raises concerns.
Analysts and supporters are watching for other potential cross-border ripples. In particular, some federal and state legislators have aborted by preventing women from having an abortion in other states, penalizing out-of-state practitioners, and making mail shipments illegal. The flow of medicine.
What if these bans extend to other countries, or if people persecuted for obtaining or providing an abortion in the United States seek refuge in Canada?
An important test under the Canadian Extradition Act is "felony". That is, is the act someone is looking for illegal in Canada? It's not illegal to get an abortion or prescribe an abortion drug in Canada, so it's unlikely that such a requirement would meet the test, says Robert Curry, a law professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. I am saying.
However, he said, in some cases, the felony analysis could include a "transposition" of the legal background of the United States.
When a prosecutor tries to expel a Canadian who has prescribed an abortion drug to an American, "the" essence of crime "is selling prescription drugs in the market where it is done. I can imagine what the court is saying. "It was illegal to sell them, and the fact that it was an abortion drug is just the" background "," Curry said.
"This can be a big problem."
The Supreme Court of Canada said Case R in 1988. v. Abortion has been criminalized with Morgentaler.
"Unless the threat of criminal sanctions meets certain criteria unrelated to one's priorities or aspirations, giving birth to a fetus is a serious interference to a woman's body. Therefore it is a breach of security. Of the person, "the court said in a 5-2 decision.
The ruling did not establish the right to abortion in Canada, and there is no federal law enshrining it.
Prior to the decision, abortion was limited to those approved by the "Abortion Committee" of physicians at accredited hospitals. The majority of the panel had to agree that continuing pregnancy "endangers or may endanger [women's] life or health."
Some hospitals did not have enough doctors on the committee. Others only saw patients who lived within a particular geographic area or imposed assignments on the procedure. All other abortion providers, or women who have had an abortion, faced criminal penalties.
Some Canadian women have crossed the border due to an abortion. In 1984, more than 3,480 Canadian residents secured a legal abortion in the United States, according to a report from Statistics Canada at the time. R. v. In a trial at Morgentaler, the director of the Minnesota Women's Health Center testified that many Canadian clients are facing delays at home.
Arthur of the Canadian Abortion Union mentioned its history.
She said, "The clinic was very welcome, and I know there was an expression here that the table was being done this time." "We want to help Americans come here. We want to go back and forth, but that will be a challenge for us and a lot of America at the end of the day. We also recognize that we will not be able to help others. ”
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