CNA Staff, Apr 29, 2020 / 15:00 pm
Planned Parenthood's president has hailed an increase in telehealth services, including access to chemical abortions, as a "silver lining" of the coronavirus pandemic.
"It is actually a silver lining in this pandemic, that Planned Parenthood and many other health providers have actually been able to really lean into telehealth infrastructure and provide service," said Alexis McGill-Johnson, acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood, interview with Democracy Now! published Monday.
McGill-Johnson noted that by the end of April, the organization would be providing telehealth services in all 50 states, from "STI screenings, to family planning, to HIV PEP and PrEP, and, in much the same way as I said, to provide some wraparound service around getting access to abortion."
In the interview, Johnson noted how an expansion of telehealth through apps like Skype increased access to chemical abortions where "that patient will come and pick up the prescription and go home and take that medication safely at home. And then we are able to do follow-up care, again via telehealth."