Safeguarding and teleconsultation for abortion

In response to COVID-19 and measures implemented to control virus transmission, some governments adapted abortion law and policy to ensure access to abortion care through telemedicine. In Great Britain, approval orders were issued March 30–31, 2020, making fully remote, no-test, early medical abortion temporarily lawful. Professional guidelines were then issued to support providers in offering new remote services. Other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries have also temporarily amended policies to enable remote consultation and at-home use of abortion medications: France, Ireland, and the USA (panel). Others have enabled fewer face-to-face consultations, although abortion medications must still be collected or administered in-person—eg, in Estonia and Germany. In most Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, however, laws continue to prohibit fully remote abortion provision.