The High Authority for Health has given the green light to extend to nine weeks, against seven currently, access to voluntary termination of medical pregnancy at home, to ensure women a continuity of their rights during the epidemic of coronavirus.
Seized in emergency last week by the Minister of Solidarity and Health on this extension, the HAS justifies its decision by "the need to guarantee the right of women to abortion during the period of Covid-19 epidemic by avoiding As much as possible, go to a health facility. ”
Medicated abortion, which can be prescribed by a private doctor, a midwife or performed in the hospital, is currently available up to seven weeks of amenorrhea (date of the last period) at home and nine weeks in the middle hospital.
New drug protocol
To extend this right, the HAS defines a new drug protocol associating the taking of two molecules, validated by the National College of French Gynecologists and Obstetricians (CNGOF) and the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), specifies the High Authority in a press release.
She also insisted on the need to prevent pain by prescribing paracetamol combined with opium or codeine instead of ibuprofen, and to avoid as far as possible that the woman was alone at home.
Several associations were recently concerned about the difficulties of access to the voluntary termination of pregnancy, while the hospital system is overwhelmed by the coronavirus crisis, alarmed that women are exceeding the legal time limit.
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Since last week, drug abortions can also be prescribed and monitored entirely by teleconsultation. Each year, some 220,000 abortions take place in France. About a quarter of abortions are performed outside the hospital.
