"This decision is one that will have profound psychological, economic and social consequences for the pregnant woman. The circumstances giving rise to it can be complex and varied and there may be, and usually are, powerful considerations militating in opposite directions. It is a decision that deeply reflects the way the woman thinks about herself and her relationship to others and to society at large. It is not just a medical decision; it is a profound social and ethical one as well. "
- Justice Bertha Wilson, 1988, R. v. Morgentaler Supreme Court Judgment
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Current information on how to access an abortion in NB.
(courtesy of Reproductive Justice New Brunswick.)
ABORTION ACCESS IN NEW BRUNSWICK
What is it like for a woman seeking to terminate a pregnancy in New Brunswick? For many, it is a costly and needlessly complicated journey to access safe and reliable reproductive health care. Canadian women won the legal right to abortion over 25 years ago, but access remains elusive for women who lack the means to travel out-of-province.
THE PROBLEM WITH PAYMENT REGULATION 84-20
The New Brunswick government refuses to fund abortions performed at the Fredericton Morgentaler Clinic on the grounds that it violates Regulation 84-20 of the province's Medical Services Payment Act. The government has refused to repeal this regulation despite the fact that it violates both the Canada Health Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
THE CLOSING OF THE MORGENTALER CLINIC
When staff at the Morgentaler Clinic in Fredericton held a press conference on April 10, 2014 to announce that the clinic was closing due to financial trouble at the end of July after 20 years of providing abortion services, it sent shock waves throughout New Brunswick, PEI, and Nova Scotia. Most people were unaware of the endless struggle to keep the clinic open.
THE HISTORY OF THE CLINIC
The Morgentaler Clinic has operated for over 20 years. Opened in 1994 by Dr. Henry Morgentaler, the clinic has played a crucial role in the lives of thousands of Canadian women and survived numerous attacks.
ABORTION & POLITICS IN NEW BRUNSWICK
The New Brunswick government has a long history of fighting against a woman's right to choose. Dr. Morgentaler waged many legal challenges until his death in 2013, but even a Supreme Court victory was not enough to get the New Brunswick government to grant women of the province the same right to access held by women across the rest of the country.
BEYOND NEW BRUNSWICK: RECIPROCAL BILLING
Because of its payment regulation, the province of New Brunswick is obstructing removal of abortion from the federal list of "excluded services" for purposes of reciprocal billing. This means that women living outside their home province cannot get a funded abortion until they meet residency requirements in their new province. This policy affects everyone from university students relocating to earn a degree to young couples moving to the province in search of work.