Abortion pill now available online in Netherlands
From today, women up to nine weeks into an unwanted pregnancy can order the abortion pill online in the Netherlands via the website thuisabortus.nl. They will have to fill in a questionnaire, and a team of general practitioners and gynecologists will process the request within 24 hours. Upon approval, the pill is sent to the pharmacy free of charge, RTL Nieuws reports.
Making the abortion pill available online is to increase accessibility to this type of healthcare. Until January 2025, only licensed gynecologists or abortion doctors were allowed to prescribe the abortion pill. Since then, general practitioners can also do so, but in practice, only 3 to 4 percent of house doctors dispense the abortion pill.
Abortion care is not as accessible in the Netherlands as people think, Peter Leusink, a GP and sexologist and one of the initiators of the online platform, told RTL. “Abortion care is well organized in the Netherlands, yet women still encounter obstacles.”
“For instance, women in Drenthe or Friesland sometimes have to take half a day off work because there is no clinic or GP in the area that prescribes the pill,” Leusink said. “Or women face intimidation by protesters at abortion clinics, which can be a barrier.”
According to Leusink, a study among over 130,000 women showed that online assistance with abortion is just as effective and safe as a visit to a doctor. He also pointed out that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends making the abortion pill as easily accessible as possible up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
The questionnaire includes a section on medical information and history to assess whether the woman may need to check in with a doctor to avoid medical complications. The website also contains information on frequently asked questions and contact details for the involved house doctors.
The Dutch Medical Doctors’ Association (KNMG) told RTL Nieuws that it considers it very important that abortion care be accessible, but it is not in favor of ordering the abortion pill online. The KNMG’s main issue is that consultation with a doctor is not a requirement. It is also concerned about there being insufficient space to identify doubts in the pregnant woman.
Leusink brushed away this concern. “Why do women have to go for a consultation if they already know what they want? The choice is up to the woman herself,” he said.
