B.C. student's website helps Canadians navigate abortion options
A website developed by a student at the University of British Columbia aims to help Canadians seeking an abortion choose the right option for their circumstances.
PhD student Kate Wahl's interactive "It's My Choice" website – hosted by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada – takes everything from pain tolerance to personal values into account for those weighing pill versus procedure.
"We know that one in three Canadian women and people with uteruses will have an abortion in their lifetime," Wahl told CTV News. "It's a common experience, it's a personal decision that people make, and we hope that the tool will help people understand what they need to know as they move forward with that decision.
The website opens with a "Pregnancy Calculator" that estimates how long a user has been carrying, based on the date of their last menstrual cycle, then launches into a series of questionnaires that ultimately suggest whether a pill or procedure might be a better fit.
For example, the results might indicate an operation is the "best match," ticking 67 per cent of a user's preferences based on how many appointments will be required, how much bleeding they might experience, and other factors.
"Say it’s very important for you to have a companion with you, you would indicate that – then the tool sort of calculates which procedure best aligns with your preferences," Wahl said.
Users ultimately get a summary that they can bring to a health-care provider for a conversation about next steps.
So far, the response the tool has received has been overwhelmingly positive – with users finding it both helpful and informative. Wahl said many users were surprised to learn for the first time that the abortion pill was an easily accessible option for them.
"That’s new, so that makes sense," Wahl said, noting that the medication only became available in Canada in 2017.
"A lot of people didn’t realize that they can access the abortion pill through their family physician, from a nurse practitioner and, in Quebec, from midwives – so I think that was the biggest misconception we came across while doing this work."
The website – which Wahl developed with her UBC supervisor, Dr. Sarah Munro, as well as Dr. Melissa Brooks from Dalhousie University and a team of researchers, clinicians and patients – is available in English, French, Mandarin and Punjabi.
Going forward, the PhD student said they are planning to add additional tools, such as video explainers and a guide to having conversations with doctors while seeking an abortion.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Becca Clarkson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ambassador says interactions with Russia 'quite limited' but 'not unfriendly'
Canada's ambassador to Russia says while Ottawa has 'grave concerns' about the Kremlin's 'longer-term trends,' the war in Ukraine is 'a primary barrier to a change in the relationship.'
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Lanny McDonald and a few old Flames take the Stanley Cup on a surprise visit to the man who saved his life
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for killing wife and girlfriend’s two children in jury decision
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.
Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
Father who killed one-year-old son with axe may be allowed to travel in southwestern Ontario
A Mennonite father who killed his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to travel to parts of southern Ontario in the coming months
'It feels like freedom': Why some Albertans like going nude in nature
Few people can say they accidentally purchased a nude beach — but Shelley can. When she saw a piece of land she could fondly remember camping on was up for sale, she inquired about it and ended up purchasing it. She soon found that there were already inhabitants on it.
This Calgary home has a giant tree in the middle, and it's for sale
There's a luxury 'tree home' for sale in Calgary.
China lands spacecraft on the moon amid growing space rivalry with U.S.
A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.