Exploring Patients' Experiences with Medication Abortion Care in Quebec: A Multi-Method Study

Abstract

In Canada, two methods of abortion are currently available: instrumentation (surgical) and medication. Most medication abortions consist of the mifepristone/misoprostol regimen. The availability of this care is influenced by a combination of federal drug approval and provincial service delivery. Although the medication abortion regimen is highly safe and effective during the first trimester and covered through provincial and federal insurance schemes, persistent geographic and socioeconomic disparities create ongoing barriers to access, including for individuals residing in rural areas. This multi-method study aimed to evaluate the current state of knowledge regarding abortion care in Quebec and explore the medication abortion care delivery experiences of women, transgender men, and others with the capacity for pregnancy (womxn). We conducted a scoping review alongside in-depth, semi-structured interviews with womxn who obtained medication abortion pills in Quebec since the introduction of mifepristone in Canada in 2017. The results of this study characterize distinct challenges shaped by different lived experiences and provide implications for future action-oriented research to further enhance the quality, accessibility, acceptability, and destigmatization of abortion services in Quebec.