What You Should Know:
– Wisp, a sexual and reproductive telehealth provider, today introduced its first medical abortion service in an effort to increase access to affordable, safe and convenient healthcare.
– The medical abortion service is now available in California and WISP plans to roll it out in New York, Illinois and Colorado later this quarter as it expands Wisp’s suite of specialized services for sexual and reproductive health, from emergency contraception and birth control to bacterial vaginosis and herpes.
Defining Medical Abortion
A medication abortion uses a combination of two pills to induce a miscarriage in order to end a pregnancy. This treatment has been available in the US for over 20 years and the risk of a serious complication is well less than 0.4%. There is no effect on your ability to become pregnant in the future. Further, increased access to medical abortion has been shown to reduce the rate of pregnancy-related death by 7%.
Just as it’s done with its other services, Wisp designed its medical abortion telemedicine service with patients’ safety, convenience and discretion in mind. A medical abortion uses oral medication to terminate a pregnancy and is less invasive to the patient. Throughout treatment and recovery, Wisp’s medical advisors and customer care team are available to provide virtual support. Wisp offers a dedicated phone service for its medical abortion patients, with 24/7 access to providers, included in the cost of the service.
Eligibility Requirements
Wisp enables patients to request safe, discreet, and affordable treatment at home, with 24/7 support from their medical team. All patients requesting treatment for a medical abortion must meet the following criteria:
1. At least 18 years of age: A provider must get your consent in order to prescribe medical abortion treatment. If you are under 18 years old, the doctor has a duty to get permission from your guardian. For now, wisp cannot treat anyone under 18.
2. Less than 10 weeks pregnant: If you are over 10 weeks pregnant, there may be different options for you depending on the state you live in, but wisp cannot treat you at this time.
3. Live in an eligible state: Currently, wisp can only ship medical abortion treatment to California (more states coming). In order to receive medication in the mail, you will need to provide a shipping address in one of these states.
After filling out the questionnaire, a virtual visit with a doctor is scheduled to walk patients through all of the necessary steps. Once treatment is approved by the doctor, meds are delivered to their homes equipped with at-home treatment guide to answer any questions.
Furthering the company’s goal to make healthcare more inclusive and accessible, Wisp’s new medical abortion offering is priced 30% lower than the national average cost of medical abortion at $200 and does not require insurance.
“At Wisp, our mission has always been to offer fast, effective and affordable services to meet patients where and when they need it most,” said Ahmad Bani, CEO of Wisp. “We believe abortion is a critical aspect of healthcare, and we are committed to providing this as an option for our patients, in the states where it is legal, so that they can take ownership of this aspect of their health with privacy and respect.”
