New York hospitals will distribute abortion pills: not everyone likes the idea

City clinics will soon be able to perform medical abortions using abortion pills. The move, critics say, will turn New York into a tourist mecca for abortion. New York Post.

The City Department of Health and Mental Health said in a legal notice that it intends to enter into a contract with Nixon-Shane LLC/R&S Northeast LLC. for the purchase of 200 milligram tablets of mifepristone, an abortifacient pill.

Mifepristone is used along with another pill, misoprostol, to terminate a pregnancy during the first 11 weeks of pregnancy.

In a public notice, the health department said it was procuring abortion pills “to reduce the public health threat posed by the recent Supreme Court ruling.” According to the decision of the Supreme Court of the country, the states should determine the legalization or restriction of abortion.

Even before the reversal, New York State had some of the strongest abortion rights and access laws in the country. And in 2019, large-scale legislation was passed. State legislators are now pushing for a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights.

Mifepristone is not the same as the morning after pill, which is considered emergency contraception and may have side effects

“They are usually mild and last from a few days to two weeks. There may be convulsions, local bleeding, and nausea/vomiting. If you have more severe side effects, call your doctor right away,” reads the Abortion Center section of the Health Department website.

Opponents say the city is aiming to become a tourist destination for abortions and a "pill factory." And this is while other states are restricting or banning abortions.

“Abortion is the killing of an innocent human life,” said Dennis Paust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference.

“Unfortunately, abortion is promoted as a social good. Why shouldn't New York help pregnant women who want to keep their baby, carry it to term, and avoid poverty?”

On the subject: Thousands protest in New York for abortion rights

State Conservative Party chairman Gerald Kassar rages: “This is abortion tourism. New York has gone too far on abortion. We respect the sanctity of life. We believe that life begins at conception. And public funds should not be used for abortions.”

City Hall defends its decision

“Mayor Adams and the Department of Health have made no bones about their commitment to reproductive rights,” the Department of Health said in a statement. “Once abortion protection was enshrined in New York State, our city began to act in support of out-of-state residents whose freedom of choice was again limited following a court decision.”

The health department did not say how many abortion pills it buys for its clinics and how much they signed a contract for.

Adams signed into law the city council passed last year. The health department should offer federal drugs for medical abortion, free of charge to patients in city clinics. And $1 million will be allocated to expand access to abortion.

“I definitely support this idea. Access to abortion is very important,” said Upper West Side Councilwoman Gail Brewer.

“Our city polyclinics are a good place for patients to receive professional medical advice. The fact that pills are offered in polyclinics is good,” she added.

In 2020, New York State had one of the highest abortion rates in the nation

Among women aged 15 to 44, 110 pregnancies were terminated - 0360 per 28,18. This is double the national rate, according to a study by the Gutmacher Institute.

The city's health department reported 49 abortions in 784.

The number of medical abortions using the pill jumped 51,7% from 2010 to 2019. This has happened as the pills have become more widely available.

In comparison, the number of surgical abortions fell by 50,9% to 18,4 per 1000 women of childbearing age.

Governor Hokul requires abortion pills on SUNY and CUNY campuses.

SUNY and CUNY students deserve access to reproductive health services, including abortion. This is stated in the Hokul policy document “State of the State in 2023”. “That is why Governor Hokul will ensure that all public colleges and universities in the SUNY and CUNY systems either offer medical abortion at their health centers or establish a relationship with a local reproductive health provider. This is necessary to directly refer students to a reliable abortion facility.”