ICMA Statement on Misoprostol Internet Sale 27 May 2009

While it would be far preferable for all women who seek an abortion to have access to a trained provider through their national health system, this is not always possible, especially where laws are restrictive.
Internet and pharmacy sales of the pills for medical abortion have become increasingly sophisticated. Sometimes these internet services employ appropriate counseling, patient screening and other safeguards for safe and correct use. Where abortion is severely restricted and safe abortion services are not legal or easily available the alternative of safe internet sales may be the safest forms of access available to women.

However, caution is advised while purchasing medical drugs on the internet from an unknown site, since they may sell counterfeit or ineffective drugs and charge higher rates than necessary.

For women in many countries where abortion is not legal, a reliable site is Women on Web: http://www.womenonweb.org.

Women on Web is an online abortion help service for women living in countries where access to safe abortion services is restricted. The goal of the Women on Web service is to help women around the world to obtain a safe medical abortion and reduce the mortality and morbidity due to unsafe abortions. Additionally the website raises funds to give donations to women without financial means to obtain a safe medical abortion. Women on Web answers all the emails that are received through the website within few hours in Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, English, French and Arabic.