When a woman chooses to have an abortion, shes often faced with two options: having an abortion inside a hospital or a clinic, or taking whats known as abortion pills.

According to Planned Parenthood, a lot of women are more comfortable with abortion pills because theyre private, dont requireanesthesia and feel less invasive and more natural.

While abortion pills do have raremedical risks bleeding, partialabortion and uterine blood clots most women are able to take them safely.

But unlike emergency contraception (aka Plan B), abortion pills are not sold in pharmacies and are only available at select abortion clinics, womens health centers and hospitals.

However, a new study, the TelAbortion Study, aims togivewomen greater access to abortion pillsby mail.These types of abortions are currently referred to as telabortions.

First off, what exactly are abortion pills? According to Live Science,abortion pills refers to mifepristone and misoprostol, two medications thatare taken to abort the pregnancy during the first 10 weeks.

Participants who want telabortions arefirst required to have a video consultation with a doctor. Then, they haveblood tests and an ultrasound completed.

After completing those tests at a nearby medical facility, the pills are mailed to participants, who receivefurther tests and virtually consult with a doctor again oncetheyve finishedthe pills.

While there are some states that allow you to consult with a doctor online for access to abortion pills, they still require you to visit aclinic to pick up the pills. And for a lot of women, thats the most daunting, intimidating, triggering part of the process.

Researchers are nowtesting thesafety of telabortions. Out of the 12 women who have participated in the study, 11 experienced nomedical complications after having a telabortion and 10 would even encourage others to consider the process.

Director of theJacobs Institute of Womens Health Susan Wood expressed that she thinks telabortion is a positive move for womens reproductive health, tellingThe New York Times, Itsabsolutely an important step forward to expanding access to abortion that is safe and effective and creating options for women.

This type of service could be groundbreaking for people who live in parts of the country where itsnearly impossible for women to gainaccess to safe abortions.

All too often, women are afraid to enter an abortion clinic because they know to expect beingharassed and bullied by the opposition on their way inside.

In some cases, women are even photographed and outed by protestors in their community for their deeply personal medical decision.

The thought of being attackedfor merely entering the clinic can be so traumatic, women will even opt out of it entirely.

Even accessing a clinic at all is a problem for women in several states. There are currently five states with only one abortion clinic, and dozens of clinics have been forced to close their doors due to tight state restrictions and lack of funding.

With President-elect Donald Trump on a strict anti-abortion platform, its safe to assume access to abortion is not going to get easier for women anytime soon, butTelabortion is an alternative way women can still have access to their fundamental reproductive rights.

Subscribe to Elite Daily’s official newsletter, The Edge, for more stories you don’t want to miss.

Read more: http://elitedaily.com/women/at-home-abortion-pills/1690928/