Dozens of Canadian women travel to the U.S. every year for abortions paid for by their provincial governments, according to data obtained by Global News.
But as some states move to restrict and criminalize the medical procedure, experts say that could have a big impact on Canadian women by both limiting options for out-of-country care and potentially increasing wait times in Canada.
Ontario’s health ministry was the only province to provide Global News with detailed data on out-of-country abortions. The province covered abortion services in the U.S. for more than 100 women from 2014 to present. Those procedures added up to more than US$1.5 million.
A spokesperson for the Ontario health ministry said the fact that some women are being sent outside Canada for abortions does not mean there are gaps in abortion services in the province.
Though the Ontario data does not break down the data based on the type of abortion, they are likely for third-trimester abortions.
