top of page

How public restroom closures directly effect medicated-induced abortions

Updated: Apr 19, 2022

By: Tatiana Furtado

During the pandemic, public restrooms were ordered to close by various public health authorities across Canada. For individuals experiencing homelessness, a public restroom might be the only place where they can deal with their personal hygiene and health-related issues. Various health-care professionals address the possible risks when shutting down public restrooms.

Photo: Shutterstock

For many, worrying about not being able to access a public restroom is never really a concern. Whether at a shopping mall and or after grabbing a cup of coffee, it was always accessible and convenient. But, for the over 235,000 people who experience homelessness every year in Canada, public restrooms are a luxury.


Now, what happens when people experiencing homelessness have that luxury taken away from them? Where will they then find the privacy to take care of their own personal hygiene in dignity? More specifically, where do these people seeking an abortion take the abortion pill? An alarming concern that was not considered when implementing public health measures during the pandemic.


The issue of individuals choosing to have medicated-induced abortions but no where to have the misscarige came up in conversation with Dr. Adrian Edgar, Medical Director at clinic 554 in New Brunswick.


“We had closures where for months and months on end where if you went into a public space, you wouldn’t be able to access the bathroom. For instance, lots of restaurants and stores closed down bathroom access, so then if you think about people who are under housed or people who are homeless, who would use the bathroom to have a medical abortion, didn’t have access to it,” Dr. Adrain Edgar said.


Mifepristone and Misoprostol are the two prescription abortion pills on-label in Canada. Health Canada approved the use Mifepristone in 2015 and since then, it’s made accessing abortion care easier. In my article, A breakdown of abortion care with Dr. Regina Renner, Dr. Regina Renner breaks down the side effects of the abortion pill and how bleeding can last anywhere from two days up to two weeks.


A pharmacist or doctor may recommend someone who seems to be experiencing homelessness to opt for a surgical procedure rather than a medicated-inducted abortion.


“In my clinical experience, what comes up at times are people who are homeless and there’s no safe place to be for the miscarriage or people who have really chaoic lives where I would worry about them not being able to navigate when to come in if needed. Usually it’s a shared decision that it’s probably safer for them to have a surgical procedure because it’s a more controlled environment compared to them being out,” Dr. Regina Renner said.


Being in a controlled environment that is both private and secure is extremely important when having a medicated-induced abortion. Unfortunately for those experiencing homelessness, a public washroom might be the closest thing to a controlled environment.


With that in mind, public health guidelines need to consider all possible scenarios that involve needing access to a public restroom. In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared sanitation as a universal human right, meaning everyone, everywhere has the right to access a toilet. If another public health scare, like an epidemic or pandemic were to happen or we were placed in another provincial/national lockdown, public restrooms need to remain open.


bottom of page