The lack of access to abortion in many parts of Austria is a major burden for many women. The right to an abortion must not depend on financial means or place of residence.
This is why making the abortion pill (Mifegyne) available in pharmacies without a prescription is an important and necessary measure.
Parliament should therefore adopt measures to legalize over-the-counter distribution of the abortion pill.
Justification for prescription-free dispensing of the abortion pill
The abortion pill is a new technology that has been available since 1988 and has since proven to be very effective and extremely safe. It triggers an abortion that is identical and indistinguishable from a spontaneous abortion. Women have been managing spontaneous abortions themselves for around 10,000 years and will seek medical help if they need it. Therefore, there is no reasonable medical argument for managing a medical abortion differently from a spontaneous abortion.
The abortion pill is already available on the internet, e.g. www.womenonweb.org, and in India over the counter in drugstores, such as the preparation “Unwanted kit®”. Why are women in Europe denied this form of self-determination with the current restrictions on access to the abortion pill and why they are still being patronized based on a social image and a role for women that dates back to the monarchy and fascism?
We see the massive negative consequences this has for women every day. The lack of abortion care close to home in large parts of Austria forces women to travel unnecessarily and take on other burdens. There are too few doctors who perform abortions, and too many restrictions that make it impossible for women to access care close to home. This is why making the abortion pill available without a prescription is an important and necessary measure.
Abortion pills are safe from a medical point of view, and long overdue for women’s self-determination.