Canada
Legal | Abortion Pills | Local Organizations | Scam List
Abortion Laws and Policies
Overview
Abortion is permitted on request. Gestational limits varies at the province level.
Minors are required to obtain parental consent for an abortion in Quebec.
Abortion is available free of charge through public health care system.
Medical practitioners and providers in Alberta and British Columbia have the right to refuse abortion services based on personal beliefs.
Claim your rights
Access to abortion is a fundamental human right and a basic healthcare need. If you live in a country with restrictions to abortion access, you can visit Women on Web to request abortion pills or learn more about the local support and resources available in your country.
About Abortion Pills
An abortion with pills is a safe and effective way to end a pregnancy at home. There are two ways to have an abortion with pills:
- Have an abortion with a pill called Mifepristone and another pill called Misoprostol;
- Have an abortion with the pill Misoprostol only.
You already have abortion pills? Find instructions, information around dosage, safety precautions and tips here.
Mifepristone
Mifepristone is officially registered by the country’s pharmaceutical authority.
A doctor's prescription may be required to get Mifepristone.
There is no data on regulations around the distribution of Mifepristone available.
Misoprostol
Misoprostol is registered
There is no data available on whether Misoprostol is registered for gynecological indications (such as birth, miscarriage treatment or abortion care etc. ), or if it is registered for other purposes only (such as arthritis or gastric ulcers etc. )..
There is currently no data available on whether or not a prescription is needed to get Misoprostol.
There is no data on regulations around the distribution of Misoprostol available.
These are brand names under which Mifepristone, Misoprostol or Combi Packs (that contain both abortion pills Mifepristone and Misoprostol) are officially distributed and/or commonly found in the country.
Brand names
Misoprostol:
Misoprostol, 100mcg/200 mcg (AAIPharma Services Corp)
PMS Misoprostol, 100mcg/200mcg (Pharma Science Inc)
GD-DICLOFENAC/MISOPROSTOL 50/75 (200 mcg)(GENMED A DIVISION OF PFIZER CANADA ULC) **contains Diclofenac
PMS-DICLOFENAC-MISOPROSTOL 50/75 (200 mcg)(PHARMASCIENCE INC) **contains Diclofenac
ARTHROTEC 50/75 (PFIZER CANADA ULC) **contains Diclofenac
Combipack:
Mifegymiso, 200 mg/200mcg
Safety notice
There are pills that contain a combination of Misoprostol and the painkiller Diclofenac. While manufactured for a different purpose they can still be used for abortion. Specific instructions need to be followed to avoid overdosing the Diclofenac.
Local Organizations and Resources
No local organizations.
Scams
Watch out for fake abortion clinics and sellers online. See or contribute to our list of scams & stay safe!
Other Databases and Sources
These are the sources and databases used to gather the information listed on this country profile.
- 04.12.2022/WHO, Global Abortion Policies Database: https://abortion-policies.srhr.org/country/canada/
- 31.08.2022/Medical Abortion Commodities Database: https://www.medab.org/advanced-search-multiple-results?country=365&commodity=all&brand=all#multiple-search-result
- 31.08.2022/National Medicine Authority: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products.html
- 31.08.2022/National Medicine Databank: https://hpr-rps.hres.ca/index.php
- 04.12.2022: Reproductive Rights Map: https://reproductiverights.org/maps/worlds-abortion-laws/?country=CAN&category[1349]=1349
- 04.12.2022/Global Map of Norms regarding Conscientious Objection: https://www.redaas.org.ar/conscientious-objection-map
Canada clinics and associations
Though abortion is legal in Canada, access to services for women outside urban…
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