It was revealed by Doctors for Choice Malta that, in 2022, a total of 424 abortion pill packs were sent to Malta. This is up from 356 packs the previous year, representing a 19.1% increase year-on-year. 

Abortion telemedicine services, the NGO said, are enabling women to terminate their own pregnancy in the privacy of their own home in countries where abortion is illegal. 

The services work by allowing people to fill in an online medical consultation which is then reviewed by a doctor. If doctors deem it safe to proceed with abortion pills, which is the case with the vast majority of pregnancies of less than 12 weeks, a prescription is issued and the pills are sent to the patient with instructions on how to use them. 

The NGO also highlighted how this year was the year most restrictions on travel related to the pandemic were abolished. 

‘The sustained increase in abortion pill packs sent to Malta in 2022 indicates that the growth in popularity of online telemedicine services is a permanent one, and not simply a temporary trend during the pandemic.’ 

The World Health Organisation now recommends the option of telemedicine as an alternative to in-person interactions with the health worker to deliver medical abortion services in whole or in part. 

#MaltaDaily