Medical abortion through telehealth in India: a critical perspective
The COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdowns have significantly impacted access to abortions for millions of people in India. One of the proposed solutions to address the inaccessibility of abortion services is the use of teleconsultation or “telemedicine” where pregnant persons consult with Regis...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26410397.2022.2107090 |
| _version_ | 1811282279795785728 |
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| author | Dipika Jain Anubha Rastogi Kavya Kartik Anmol Diwan Oieshi Saha |
| author_facet | Dipika Jain Anubha Rastogi Kavya Kartik Anmol Diwan Oieshi Saha |
| author_sort | Dipika Jain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdowns have significantly impacted access to abortions for millions of people in India. One of the proposed solutions to address the inaccessibility of abortion services is the use of teleconsultation or “telemedicine” where pregnant persons consult with Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) over voice or video calls. The RMPs then prescribe the necessary medication electronically. However, telehealth services bring their own set of social and legal challenges. Although they can allow for greater access to medical abortions, especially in situations where pregnant persons are unable to opt for in-person medical care, it is important to note that telemedicine is not a one-stop solution for lack of access to timely, affordable abortions. This is particularly due to the structural barriers of caste, class, religion, gender, and disability that impede access to healthcare services. In this article, we examine the need for telehealth services in India as a means of increasing access to medical abortion services and the structural barriers that prevent it from being an effective and equitable solution for all. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:48:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a365e679eaba4f91a133ecb07e5bbb9b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2641-0397 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:48:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters |
| spelling | doaj.art-a365e679eaba4f91a133ecb07e5bbb9b2022-12-22T03:07:56ZengTaylor & Francis GroupSexual and Reproductive Health Matters2641-03972022-01-0129210.1080/26410397.2022.2107090Medical abortion through telehealth in India: a critical perspectiveDipika Jain0Anubha Rastogi1Kavya Kartik2Anmol Diwan3Oieshi Saha4Professor of Law & Director, Centre for Justice, Law and Society, Jindal Global Law School, New Delhi, India. Correspondence:Independent Advocate, Bombay High Court, Bombay, IndiaFormer Assistant Director, Centre for Justice, Law and Society, Jindal Global Law School, New Delhi, IndiaAssistant Professor, Senior Research Associate, Centre for Justice, Law and Society, Jindal Global Law School, New Delhi, IndiaAssistant Professor, Former Research Associate, Centre for Justice, Law and Society, Jindal Global Law School, New Delhi, IndiaThe COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdowns have significantly impacted access to abortions for millions of people in India. One of the proposed solutions to address the inaccessibility of abortion services is the use of teleconsultation or “telemedicine” where pregnant persons consult with Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) over voice or video calls. The RMPs then prescribe the necessary medication electronically. However, telehealth services bring their own set of social and legal challenges. Although they can allow for greater access to medical abortions, especially in situations where pregnant persons are unable to opt for in-person medical care, it is important to note that telemedicine is not a one-stop solution for lack of access to timely, affordable abortions. This is particularly due to the structural barriers of caste, class, religion, gender, and disability that impede access to healthcare services. In this article, we examine the need for telehealth services in India as a means of increasing access to medical abortion services and the structural barriers that prevent it from being an effective and equitable solution for all.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26410397.2022.2107090abortiontelehealthtelemedicinehealthcarereproductive rights |
| spellingShingle | Dipika Jain Anubha Rastogi Kavya Kartik Anmol Diwan Oieshi Saha Medical abortion through telehealth in India: a critical perspective Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters abortion telehealth telemedicine healthcare reproductive rights |
| title | Medical abortion through telehealth in India: a critical perspective |
| title_full | Medical abortion through telehealth in India: a critical perspective |
| title_fullStr | Medical abortion through telehealth in India: a critical perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Medical abortion through telehealth in India: a critical perspective |
| title_short | Medical abortion through telehealth in India: a critical perspective |
| title_sort | medical abortion through telehealth in india a critical perspective |
| topic | abortion telehealth telemedicine healthcare reproductive rights |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26410397.2022.2107090 |
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