September 28, 2022
The study sheds light on how abortion care in Canada evolved. Findings show that:
- Access to abortion in Canada improved between 2012 and 2019;
- Approval of abortion pill mifepristone and removal of restrictive regulations around the medication contributed to this improved access;
- Canada’s pool of abortion providers became larger and younger, especially since NPs were approved in 2017 to administer abortion medications;
- Abortions are increasingly being provided in primary care and office-based settings, rather than just by specialists or in dedicated facilities; and
- Mifepristone is improving abortion access particularly in rural areas, where medication is used for a higher proportion of abortions (44.4%) than in urban areas (25.6%).