RU-486 abortion pill approval good news for rural Alberta women, proponent says

Proponents of the abortion-inducing pill known as RU-486 say women across the province could benefit from its approval.

Health Canada has given RU-486 — which is actually a combination of two drugs — the green light for use in the first 49 days of pregnancy.

Celia Posyniak, the executive director of the Kensington Clinic in Calgary, says they currently provide medical abortions using a drug that isn't as effective and requires a lot more follow-up.

"I think eventually if family practitioners in remote areas of the province are able to offer it then ... these women won't have to travel to Edmonton or Calgary, which is a huge burden," she said.

The drug will likely be available for use in Canada next year.

"It's a matter of choice and it's a matter of access. Some women would like to avoid the surgical option. And in remote areas, women will be able to get it perhaps from their family physician rather than having to travel," she said.

"It's been a long time coming."

The drug has been available since 1988 in France. It was approved for use in the United States in 2000 and is also available in more than 57 countries.