Researchers help fill information gap on abortion options with new decision aid

‘When you look online for anything about abortion, it is very difficult to know what you’re reading is legitimate and accurate,’ says one of the creators.

September 27, 2024

When someone chooses to have an abortion, they should have all the information they need to make an informed decision. navigate the process. That’s the vision behind a pair of researchers who have designed a tool to help with what comes after making such a deeply personal decision.

“People are going to be much happier, much more satisfied with the process at the end if they actually have the information they need to make the right choice,” said Melissa Brooks, assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Dalhousie University.

Dr. Brooks and University of British Columbia PhD candidate Kate Wahl are the creators of a new interactive, anonymous, online tool called It’s My Choice.

The most common, safe and effective options for abortion in Canada are a procedural abortion, which is usually done in a clinic or hospital, and medication abortion, which involves taking oral drugs that prompt the body to expel the pregnancy. Neither option is healthier, better or clinically superior – what matters most is that patients choose the option that is best for them.

“When you look online for anything about abortion, it is very difficult to know what you’re reading is legitimate and accurate,” said Dr. Brooks. “There are many anti-abortion groups that don’t present themselves that way, and they present information which is misleading.”

It’s My Choice can replace navigating through that information landscape by providing verified information that is tailored to patients’ unique needs.

The hope is that the tool can be shared with patients by their health care providers, as a means of providing counselling and guidance before they arrive to their appointment. “They could also choose to go through it with the patient at the time of their appointment if they wanted to,” said Dr. Brooks.

Canada is among the countries that was relatively late to legalizing medication abortion, in 2017, which caused more reservation among medical practitioners and less overall awareness of the method by patients. Since then, it has become one of the leading providers of medication abortion care in the world. But, as a practicing OBGYN in Nova Scotia, Dr. Brooks began seeing patients who would have benefited from more counselling before arriving to their health care provider to request an abortion method. Turning online for information to guide that decision can also be problematic.

“When you look online for anything about abortion, it is very difficult to know what you’re reading is legitimate and accurate,” says Dr. Brooks. “There are many anti-abortion groups that don’t present themselves that way, and they present information which is misleading.”

It’s My Choice can replace navigating through that information landscape by providing verified information that is tailored to their unique needs.

The team behind It’s My Choice hopes that the tool can be distributed by health care providers to their patients as a means of providing counselling and guidance before they arrive to their appointment. “They could also choose to go through it with the patient at the time of their appointment if they wanted to,” says Dr. Brooks.

The next step for the It’s My Choice team is to conduct a study on how best to implement the tool across Canadian health care systems. “Hopefully we can take that information and find the best way to use the tool if you’re a family doctor or if you’re a big abortion clinic.”

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