B.C. student's website helps Canadians navigate abortion options
![It's My Choice The homepage of the It's My Choice website, designed by UBC PhD student Kate Wahl.](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/5/9/it-s-my-choice-1-6880971-1715297363934.png)
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
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6958682.1720639670!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Canada to announce plan to reach NATO target, spend 2% of GDP on defence: sources
After facing months of pressure, senior government sources tell CTV News that Canada will unveil its plan on Thursday on how to reach its NATO commitment to spend two per cent of its GDP on defence.
Family of 3 killed in tragic collision on B.C. highway, RCMP say
A family of three was killed in a tragic head-on collision with a tractor trailer in B.C.'s Fraser Valley this week, authorities have confirmed. The deceased are two adults and an infant.
Frank Stronach's granddaughter seeks company docs related to misconduct allegations
The granddaughter of billionaire businessman Frank Stronach is asking an Ontario court to order the family business to disclose any documents that might exist related to complaints of sexual misconduct against him and settlements involving complainants.
Surging optimism as Canada continues to shock the soccer world at Copa America
A 2-nil semi-final loss to Argentina dashed Canada’s hopes of reaching the championship game at the Copa America Tournament, but getting this far and having a surprising level of success was a major breakthrough.
Man suspected of killing the family of BBC radio commentator has been found, British police say
British police said they found Wednesday the man suspected of killing the wife and two daughters of a well-known BBC radio commentator near London in a brutal crossbow attack.
WEATHER TRACKER Rainfall, heat, smoke advisories in place across Canada
Large parts of Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada are under weather warnings forecasting significant rainfall due to the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, while people in western Canada are experiencing sweltering heat. Some areas are also under air quality advisories as a result of wildfire smoke.
His brother was found dead, his mother was arrested before this baby was found crawling by a highway
A Louisiana sheriff says a 1-year-old 'miracle baby' survived two days of sometimes stormy weather before a truck driver spotted him crawling along a roadside the day after his 4-year-old brother was found dead and his mother was arrested in Mississippi.
England beats Netherlands 2-1 on late goal, reaches Euro Cup final
England reached a second straight European Championship final by beating the Netherlands 2-1 thanks to substitute Ollie Watkins' stoppage-time winner on Wednesday.
Does tipping encourage better service? Here's what experts say
Tipping is meant to empower customers and motivate workers to deliver quality service, but some question whether the prevalent practice actually enhances customers' experience.