The Canadian government “would work to provide” access to medical abortion drugs if the pills become banned in the states, an official said last week.
Families Minister Karina Gould said Canada would help American citizens in gaining access to abortion medication if American law were to change.
“What concerns me … is where you see laws in states where they’re actually criminalizing women (who) cross state borders to access reproductive health care,” Gould said.
“And so, you know, we need to be very thoughtful about how we do this to make sure that we don’t further endanger, you know, American women who are seeking access to reproductive health care and services, as well as health-care providers,” she added.
From The Hill:
On Friday, the Supreme Court paused a federal judge’s order to restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone. The 5th Circuit Court is currently considering a case to prevent access to the drug after a Texas judge ruled that it should not be allowed. Reproductive rights advocates say the original ruling, and questions over the drug’s legality, are actually more damaging to people who live in states where abortion is already legal. “This judicial ping-pong game is impacting the accessibility of a safe, effective, decades-long approved medication and is causing chaos and confusion,” Carrie Flaxman, senior director, public policy litigation & law at Planned Parenthood, said during a recent briefing. The battle over mifepristone is the latest in a series of efforts to reduce access to reproductive care, including abortions. The Supreme Court overturned the landmark case allowing abortions nationwide, Roe v. Wade, last summer.
