Abortion pill legal in Canada—What does this mean for the country?
Originally reported by our sister brand Business Review Canada, a new drug has been legalized in Canada—the abortion drug.
Specifically, Health Canada has made it legal for women to purchase and consume the RU-486 pill. However, not everyone is on board with this recent ruling. Find out what the medication really does and all of the controversy that as consumed it.
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The RU-486 medication has already been available in 57 other countries. Specifically, the drug has been readily available for a quarter of a century in France and Britain. The pill has been available in the United States since 2000.
Made by Linepharma International Limited, the pill will be sold under the brand name Mifegymiso throughout Canada. However, while some countries do allow for the drug to be dispensed by pharmacists, Health Canada has made a ruling that will require women to get a prescription from their doctor before they can make a purchase.
A spokesperson for Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose has had this to say on the issue: “Drug approval decisions are arms-length decisions made by Health Canada officials based on analysis by Health Canada scientists.”
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The RU-486 drug works by blocking the production of progesterone, which is a hormone that is needed in order for a pregnancy to take place. Experts in the medical reproductive industry have referred to the pill as the best known option for abortion. Therefore, getting the drug approved in Canada has been on the agenda for quite some time.
However, not everyone in the country is in favor for the abortion pill. As you can imagine, the approval of this drug has caused a bit of a stir in Canada.
Particularly, Campaign Life Coalition, an anti-abortion rights group, has recently called for the federal government and Ambrose to stop distributing the drug. As well, other pro-life organizations have jumped on the bandwagon, hoping to get the legal ruling overturned.
Furthermore, National President of Campaign Life Coalition Jim Hughes has said this on the matter: “We have fought against this drug coming into Canada since 1999 in order to safeguard the health of women and save unborn children from early deaths.”
While Hughes may make an interesting point, don’t most women know what is safe for their bodies? This is definitely a touchy subject; without a doubt, there is a gray area. However, at the end of the day, shouldn’t women be responsible for their own decisions (i.e. what they put into their bodies)?
Let us know what your thoughts are on this issue.
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[SOURCE: Global News]
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