ABSTRACT

India has the world’s fastest growing outbreak of COVID-19. With limited mobility, increased reports of intimate partner violence, changes in living patterns of migrants, delays in accessing contraception and safe abortion care, and potential changes to decisions about parenting, there may be an increased need for abortion services in India due to the pandemic. The use of technology for providing abortion information and services has been well documented in global literature. The safety of abortion provision using telehealth has been established in several contexts including the United States and Australia. The importance of hotlines and other support systems that use technology to provide information and support to clients through their abortion is also highlighted in the literature. Several countries, such as the United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, and Pakistan are now allowing the use of technology for abortion/post-abortion care in light of the pandemic; however, India’s telemedicine guidelines do not include abortion. In a country where the majority of abortions take place outside the health system, allowing the use of telemedicine for abortion can help bring legality to users, and expand access to those facing additional barriers in accessing the care they deserve. We outline models for telemedicine provision of abortion in India and discuss the regulatory changes required to make telehealth for abortion a reality in India.

摘要

印度拥有世界上增长最快的 COVID-19 疫情。由于行动不便、亲密伴侣暴力事件的报告增加、移民生活模式的变化、获得避孕和安全堕胎护理的延迟以及育儿决定的潜在变化，由于大流行，印度对堕胎服务的需求可能会增加. 使用技术提供堕胎信息和服务已在全球文献中有详细记录。使用远程医疗提供堕胎的安全性已在包括美国和澳大利亚在内的多种情况下确立。文献中还强调了热线和其他支持系统的重要性，这些系统使用技术通过堕胎向客户提供信息和支持。英国、法国等多个国家 鉴于大流行，新西兰和巴基斯坦现在允许使用技术进行堕胎/堕胎后护理；然而，印度的远程医疗指南不包括堕胎。在一个大多数堕胎发生在卫生系统之外的国家，允许使用远程医疗进行堕胎有助于为用户带来合法性，并扩大那些在获得应得的护理方面面临额外障碍的人的机会。我们概述了印度远程医疗提供堕胎的模式，并讨论了使远程堕胎医疗在印度成为现实所需的监管变革。在一个大多数堕胎发生在卫生系统之外的国家，允许使用远程医疗进行堕胎有助于为用户带来合法性，并扩大那些在获得应得的护理方面面临额外障碍的人的机会。我们概述了印度远程医疗提供堕胎的模式，并讨论了使远程堕胎医疗在印度成为现实所需的监管变革。在一个大多数堕胎发生在卫生系统之外的国家，允许使用远程医疗进行堕胎有助于为用户带来合法性，并扩大那些在获得应得的护理方面面临额外障碍的人的机会。我们概述了印度远程医疗提供堕胎的模式，并讨论了使远程堕胎医疗在印度成为现实所需的监管变革。