Quick EscapeAbortion is healthcare. YWCA Hamilton is proud to join other healthcare practitioners in ensuring that everyone has safe, low-barrier access to abortion services.
As part of YWCA Hamilton’s ongoing advocacy and service provision to provide barrier free access to health care and enhanced services for people with internal reproductive organs, we have partnered with Crown Point Midwives, a medical abortion provider, for an information session focusing on low-barrier access to abortion in Hamilton. The webinar was geared toward those who support people in Hamilton who are or whish to access abortion care, and ranged from an overview of available services to how to navigate various options for those seeking abortion care.
In Canada, abortion is common – 1 in 3 folks with a uterus will have an abortion in Canada at some point in their lifetime – and safe.
Low-barrier access to abortion is crucial. Unintended births may happen more often in younger, low income, racialized individuals, even though unintended pregnancy transcends these divisions. Lowering barriers to abortion also helps ensure that those who have faced negative experiences within the healthcare system are able to access the reproductive care they need.
As Kate Demers from the Crown Point Midwives pointed out during the webinar, there can be many barriers to accessing abortion care in Hamilton. Many individuals need to travel unacceptable distances to access abortion services – if a pregnancy is greater than 17 weeks, travel outside of Hamilton may be required, or, if it is greater than 24 weeks, travel outside of Canada may be required.
Kate also pointed out that not all pharmacies will fulfill a prescription for the medication required for a medical abortion, either because they do not carry it or because pharmacists are able to refuse abortion care services as conscientious objectors.
However, Kate pointed out that there are many resources available for those looking for abortion care. The Hamilton Midwifery Outreach Team (HMOT) is a group of local midwives who work in consultation with a Shelter Health Network physician to provide on-call prenatal and postpartum care individuals to individuals experiencing homelessness in the community who have not been able to access a more mainstream model of care. They are available via pager at 905-561-0738.
YWCA Hamilton also provides onsite reproductive care at Carole Anne’s Place, our overnight drop-in shelter for women and gender-diverse people experiencing homelessness.
Finally, there are other online resources available, including Action Canada, which acts as a voice for sexual health and rights in Canada and globally, accessible online at https://www.actioncanadashr.org/ or by their access line at 1-888-642-2725.
Are you looking for abortion care in Hamilton? The Crown Point Midwives are a medication abortion service provider available to anyone.
https://www.crownpointfhc.ca/midwives-new
Pager: 905-481-0707
Services:
- Mobile abortion services
- Navigation of financial and transportation barriers
- Counseling and post abortion follow up
- 24 hour pager services (requires access to phone)
