What are Webcam Abortions?
Webcam abortions originated in Iowa, where Planned Parenthood wanted to bring abortions to rural locations. A brief exam is performed on the woman, and results are sent by internet to the abortionist. Using a webcam the abortionist consults with the woman. Then, the abortionist clicks a button on their end, and a drawer similar to a cash register drawer opens in front of the woman. It contains two RU-486 abortion pills. The movie Unplanned depicts the experience and some possible consequences, as experienced by Abby Johnson.
She takes the first pill while on camera, turning her into the abortionist, as that drug kills her child. They send her home to take the other pill, to complete what they call the “miscarriage experience” that can last several days. Any woman that has had a miscarriage knows it isn’t a trivial experience, but Planned Parenthood trivializes it. She is told to deliver her dead baby into a toilet and flush. Some women face the reality of what they’ve done when they see their dead child. Some have been known to freeze the child instead of flushing, not knowing how to deal with their regret. RU-486 has killed some women in the past, and Planned Parenthood doesn’t always dispense the drug per FDA guidelines, choosing a cheaper blend, instead.
It is very troubling that Planned Parenthood dispenses a deadly drug in a manner contrary to FDA guidance. Women report that these abortions are even bloodier and more painful than surgical abortions. How is a woman to know if the blood or pain they experience is too much, while they sit at home? In shame, many women seeking abortions hide them, and might not ask for help when they need it. Worse yet, even if she calls for help, rural communities often lack medical facilities that can address the deadly outcomes if anything goes wrong. If she reaches a hospital that can help, there is still a chance she may withhold information they need to know to help her. We wish more people knew what abortion providers are doing.
Some pro-lifers raise serious concerns about using the drugs in an off-label manner. If the drugs weren’t potentially lethal and being used without medical oversight when taken at home, this wouldn’t be as serious of a matter. After all, off-label use is how many advancements are made in medical health. Even the abortion pill reversal protocol uses non-lethal hormones in an off-label manner. The problem with the abortion pills being used this way is that they are potentially lethal to the woman (in addition to the children), and that the drug is taken without significant medical oversight.
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Even when the abortion pill is dispensed in person, it has caused great harm to women. In 2013, the Iowa Board of Medicine listened to public comment on webcam abortions. The board banned webcam abortions. Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit that temporarily allowed to keep committing such abortions until the court justices overturned the Iowa Board of Medicine. Many other states have successfully banned webcam abortions. But having originated in Iowa, efforts to sustain them by their supporters have slowed the progress of people who aim to protect women.
In Cedar Rapids, Planned Parenthood began offering webcam abortions after Labor Day weekend of 2012. But in a turn of events, they discontinued providing them by the 4th of July weekend in 2014.
In more recent years, Planned Parenthood has begun using mobile apps to authorize dispensing the deadly pills via the mail. They are doing so as part of a Gynuity study in: DC, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Oregon, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, and Washington.
If this spreads and becomes standard, it will make death available just about anywhere. The abortion industry may not need buildings. Women will remain alone, at home, dealing with all of the consequences without medical providers observing or ensuring they are okay. This is truly disturbing.