Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights (Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada) is in solidarity with our colleagues in the U.S. who are facing the aftermath of the Texas Federal Court decision that has created a de facto ban on medication abortion nationwide.
The decision will take effect on April 14, giving the FDA seven days from the ruling to appeal.
The ruling is an attack on reproductive rights and has devastating implications for abortion care seekers, as more than 1 in 2 abortions in the U.S. are currently performed with Mifepristone.
We are specifically concerned about the impact on individuals in the U.S. who already face immense barriers to accessing reproductive care, including Black, Indigenous, and racialized people, low income, and rural communities.
This ban is the latest attempt to threaten bodily autonomy, underscoring a growing rise in misinformation on sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide. Canada needs to take these threats seriously and take action to battle the rising stigma and confusion caused by misinformation.
An attack on sexual rights anywhere is an attack on all of our rights.
We know that Mifepristone is both safe and effective. The drug was approved by Health Canada in 2015 and is the World Health Organization's gold standard for abortion medication. The anti-choice movement has challenged the regulatory approval of Mifepristone in a move to limit people's access to abortion.
This terrible attack on reproductive rights will have a massive impact on the lives of real people on both sides of the border. It forces people who seek abortion care to travel to clinics, many of which are already overwhelmed by a surge in numbers following the defeat of Roe v. Wade.
In response, we urgently need the Federal Government to deliver on the committed $10 million to develop a Health Canada portal to provide accurate sexual health information and challenge disinformation circulating online.
Canadians can show their support by speaking up for abortion rights, donating to abortion advocacy groups, and advocating with their governments about defending reproductive rights for all.