Thousands of American women have obtained abortion pills online in the past six months, according to figures that highlight the escalating difficulty in accessing safe abortions on the ground. Data shared with the Guardian reveals that 21,000 women requested abortion medication between October 2018 and March this year from the charity Aid Access. Between a third and a half of the women who made the requests were then sent abortion pills in the mail. Women who obtained pills online described desperation at being unable to access affordable medical services locally, with some saying they had considered extreme measures to end their pregnancies. Read moreSince 2006, Gomperts has run the charity Women on Web, which enables women in countries with abortion bans to terminate their pregnancies through online consultations.

Source: The Guardian May 22, 2019 06:00 UTC