A Yukon woman is raising the alarm about the cost and difficulty of accessing abortion medication in the territory.
Jane Doe says she had to seek an abortion through the emergency room, because the Opal clinic — the territory’s only dedicated abortion services provider — is only open one day a week, for four hours.
By the time Doe had received a prescription for the abortion pill Mifegymiso, the hospital pharmacy had closed. She had to get back to work the next day, so she went to a different pharmacy downtown. She says the pharmacist told her the abortion pill cost $300.
“I broke down,” said Doe. “I only had $250 in my bank account and I still needed to buy food and gas to get home.”
Cabinet communications said the Yukon government offers Mifegymiso to Yukoners at no cost.
But the government acknowledges free pills are only available through the Whitehorse hospital.
Cabinet communications said the Yukon government offers Mifegymiso to Yukoners at no cost.
But the government acknowledges free pills are only available through the Whitehorse hospital.
So then it’s not free… It’s being given away at one place. Everywhere else it’s $300.
So not free then, right?
Fuck Premier Ranj Pillai and the Liberals for restricting a woman’s right to an abortion.
The entire Yukon territory has about 45,000 people, with 3/4’s of the population living in the Capital of Whitehorse.
Abortion access is non negotiable, but one location is sufficient for a total population less than 45,000 where less than 22,500 people would ever require the service.
Not unless free transport, and free accommodations for those who have to travel for more than a couple of hours in each direction, are also provided. The government could stock abortion pills at more remote clinics—I mean, unless there’s some unusual shelf-stability issue I don’t know about. They just don’t.
Do you understand how taxes work?
If the system is functioning correctly, provincial and territorial taxes are collected from everyone in the province or territory and the services they fund are disbursed where they are the most helpful, not to the people who paid the most in. Sometimes that means that money flows from a larger population to a smaller one, if the smaller population’s needs are greater.
I take it you’ve never lived in a rural or remote community. They tend to be disproportionately underfunded and impoverished (and in the Territories, many of the people living in those places are from Indigenous or mixed-race backgrounds, whice opens a whole other can of worms).
Not that couriering a few pills up to sit on a shelf along with the painkillers and disinfectants requires a lot of funds—I’d guess less than $100/community/year, and it would have to be a pretty sad place if the inhabitants aren’t paying even that in taxes. We are not talking about surgical abortions here. We are talking about a few bloody pills that can be prescribed as necessary via pre-existing telemedecine setups if no one on site is qualified, and disbursed by the nurse running the clinic.
(Edit: I admit that I’m assuming the Territories use a similar model to remote Ontario communities like Kashechewan, where the government will fund nursing stations for communities of a couple of thousand that are largely inaccessible by land.)
Not when you have to travel to the only hospital in that territory to get the pills for free. Otherwise you pay between $300-$500 for the prescription everywhere else.
Not when you have to travel to the only hospital in that territory to get the pills for free. Otherwise you pay between $300-$500 for the prescription everywhere else.
What part of “total population of 45,000 in the entire territory” was difficult for you to comprehend, and why do you believe that population can afford more than what is currently available?
You said yourself that 1/4 of people don’t live in Whitehorse. Travelling around Yukon isn’t easy, quick, or cheap. Mail services are being trialled and I think that’s a lot better of a solution than offering it for free at one place and for $300-500 everywhere else.
You’re also being rude and vague at the same time, which is a horrible combination for being understood. Take a breath and actually make a real point instead of allusions to one.
You said yourself that 1/4 of people don’t live in Whitehorse. Travelling around Yukon isn’t easy, quick, or cheap. Mail services are being trialled and I think that’s a lot better of a solution than offering it free at one place and fuck everywhere else.
You’re also being rude and vague at the same time, which is a horrible combination for being understood. Take a breath and actually make a real point instead of allusions to one.
I have made a “real” point twice, and it is not my fault that you and OP do not understand it.
One last time for the reading impaired:
The entire Yukon territory has about 45,000 people, with 3/4’s of the population living in the Capital of Whitehorse.
Abortion access is non negotiable, but one location is sufficient for a total population less than 45,000 where less than 22,500 people would ever require the service.
What part of “total population of 45,000 in the entire territory” was difficult for you to comprehend, and why do you believe that population can afford more than what is currently available?
“Why have more than one voting location when the majority lives in one area”
Does that sound logical to you?
Respond to my points without the use of false equivalencies, or don’t respond at all.
You made no points other than “why have any other access points then a single location?”
Idk, probably because even a single location is inaccessible to most people? If they can access the “$300” ones… why cant they accesss the affordable ones?