Ultrasounds no longer required in Quebec before getting abortion pill
A group of Quebec doctors has successfully pushed for a big change to how abortions are given in the province, widening access to abortions by medication.
Until now, Quebec has required patients to have ultrasounds before obtaining the two-pill regimen that induces a medical abortion.
In the rest of Canada, that measure was abandoned in 2019. But Quebec didn't follow suit until hundreds of doctors signed an open letter last week asking the rule to be changed in their province as well.
They requested the change from the Quebec College of Physicians, prompting a new policy in recent days, according to a statement from the college.
"In the last few days, the College has decided that this measure will be made permanent," the college's spokesperson, Leslie Labranche, told CTV News.
The ultrasound rule had already been made less strict -- it was no longer mandatory -- as a temporary measure in the pandemic, beginning in February 2021, she explained.
The Quebec doctor who reportedly spearheaded the open letter, which was signed by more than 300 physicians, is a young family doctor working on Rimouski, according to Quebec's health ministry's online listing for her.
IMPROVING ABORTION ACCESS
Dr. Dario Garcia, president of Quebec's association for obstetricians and gynecologists, said the change is an important step toward making abortions more accessible.
"Anything that gives our patients better access to care is something we'll always be happy about," he told CTV News.
He said ultrasound requirements for abortion pills create unnecessary barriers for those seeking to terminate a pregnancy -- especially in a health network that's already overwhelmed.
"It's really hard, nowadays especially, to get access to laboratory tests or imaging tests."
Waiting for an appointment can be risky when it comes to medical abortions, as the window of eligibility is only 63 days.
After that, patients are required to undergo more invasive procedures to end their pregnancies, he said.
SAFE WITHOUT AN ULTRASOUND
According to the latest research, it's safe to have a medical abortion without an ultrasound beforehand, Garcia explained.
In other words, whether or not a patient has an ultrasound, "it doesn't change the results."
Quebec doctors won't be barred altogether from doing ultrasounds before prescribing the pills; they'll simply have the option not to request one.
"Physicians must use their clinical judgment and decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not an ultrasound is necessary," Labranche said.
The ultrasound rule was meant to estimate the age of the fetus and verify that the pregnant person was still nine weeks along or less, the time during which the pills were originally meant to be used. An ultrasound could also show if the pregnancy was ectopic.
In 2019, when Health Canada decided to change the rule nationally, the agency said that after extensive research into how other countries were using the pills, called Mifegymiso, it decided it wasn't necessary to do the ultrasound and that the risks of doing it often outweighed the benefits.
Mifegymiso was approved for use in Canada in 2015.
'WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO'
While Dr. Garcia applauds health authorities for making the change, he said there are still additional measures that should be taken to improve access even further.
In Quebec, general practitioners face "strict recommendations" and are required to undergo additional training in order to administer abortion pills.
"We still have work to do," he said -- work that includes making it easier for family doctors to prescribe the medication.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump returns to his campaign facing a warning of jail time if he violates a trial gag order
Donald Trump on Wednesday will use a one-day break from his hush money trial to rally voters in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan, a day after he was held in contempt of court and threatened with jail time for violating a gag order.
Ontario woman surprised after 20-year-old fines suddenly tank credit score
An Ontario woman says that she was shocked when fines from 20 years ago suddenly tanked her credit score last week, but the situation may not be as unusual as it seems, according to at least one debt expert.
Anger can harm your blood vessel function, study shows
Stress and anger can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health, studies have shown. New research points to just how the mechanism may work.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Swarm of bees delays Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles game in Arizona. An 'MVP' beekeeper came to the rescue
Major League Baseball fans had an unexpected buzz on Tuesday after a swarm of bees delayed the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game for around two hours.
Newfoundland fisherman says police broke his leg during protest that delayed budget
Richard Martin is spending this year's fishing season on land after he says a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer broke his left leg in three places during a protest last month that shut down the provincial legislature.
A 98-year-old in Ukraine walked miles to safety from Russians, with slippers and a cane
A 98-year-old woman in Ukraine who escaped Russian-occupied territory by walking almost 10 kilometres (six miles) alone, wearing a pair of slippers and supported by a cane has been reunited with her family days after they were separated while fleeing to safety.
It's opening day for the $34B Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion
Wednesday marks the official start date of the long-awaited $34-billion Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion project.
Will an 'out of sight, out of mind' cellphone policy make a difference in Ontario schools?
Ontario’s cellphone ban in schools has been met with mixed reaction, with some teachers concerned about constant policing of kids and experts applauding the change as necessary for student learning.