Call from the FIGO Committee on Safe Abortion on legislators to withdraw or oppose regressive bills and policies that limit access to telemedicine abortion:
Telemedicine has been proven to provide safe, timely and equitable access to abortion care, with outcomes comparable to facility-based care. It promotes privacy and confidentiality, reducing fear of stigma or discrimination. It also supports autonomy and informed decision-making, empowering women to manage their reproductive health on their own terms, and facilitates continuity of care through remote follow-up and support systems, reducing unnecessary travel and costs. Alongside this robust scientific evidence, the World Health Organization recommends telemedicine as a viable alternative to in-person consultations for various stages of medication abortion.
Despite this, we are witnessing growing political efforts to restrict or ban telemedicine abortion in several parts of the world. Even in Great Britain, where telemedicine has been permitted from 2020 and was made permanent by legislators in 2022, attempts are again being made to ban it. Similar setbacks are currently taking place in the United States and Brazil, among other countries.
In line with FIGO’s commitment to promoting the highest standards of physical, mental, reproductive, and sexual health and wellbeing for all women, we call on legislators to withdraw or oppose regressive bills and policies that limit access to telemedicine abortion. We urge governments to align with the global scientific consensus and honour their international human rights obligations by safeguarding access to evidence-based abortion care.
We hope this open letter to the Human Rights and Social Affairs Commissions of the Brazilian Federal Senate may also inspire other legislators globally to uphold evidence-based policies, reject restrictions on reproductive healthcare, and support the rights and dignity of all who seek abortion care.
Read the full open letter here.
SOURCE: FIGO News, 27 October, 2025. https://www.figo.org/news/open-letter-human-rights-and-social-affairs-commissions-brazilian-federal-senate-access