Planned Parenthood offers easier access to abortion with app expansion

Qualifying Illinois patients can now order abortion pills through the PPDirect app along with previously offered birth control, UTI treatment and STI testing.

MOLINE, Ill. — Planned Parenthood of Illinois is expanding its abortion care services with the launch of medication abortion through its PPDirect app.

The addition allows patients to access medication abortion in the privacy of their own homes, expanding access and reducing wait times at health centers across the state. It comes a month after PPIL announced it was closing four centers across Illinois.

Currently, PPDirect offers services like birth control, UTI treatment, at-home STI testing and emergency contraception. With the new feature, patients can now receive medication abortion. PPIL said this will improve accessibility, especially for those unable to travel to in-person appointments.

“Offering medication abortion through the PPDirect app allows patients to connect with us through their phone and removes the barrier of having to visit a health center,” Tonya Tucker, interim president and CEO of PPIL, said in a press release. Tucker also explained this will allow PPIL to reach more people, in the face of financial uncertainty brought about by the current political administration.

In the app, patients fill out a questionnaire that is then reviewed by a medical professional from PPIL. Medication abortion pills are mailed directly to the qualifying patient’s Illinois home within 1-2 days. For follow-up care, patients can visit a PPIL health center or schedule an appointment via the app. The service costs $200, which includes shipping.

“Medication abortion accounts for half of the abortions PPIL provides,” Dr. Virgil Reid, interim chief medical officer, said in a press release. “Offering it through PPDirect makes it easier for patients to access care from where they are. We ensure that patients receive the same trusted service and support they expect from PPIL.”

Medication abortion, which involves mifepristone, has been FDA-approved for over 20 years and is a safe and widely used method for terminating pregnancies, with more than five million people having used it safely.

PPIL continues to provide a range of services, including both medication and procedural abortions, birth control, gender-affirming care, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and more, both in health centers and via telehealth. For more information, visit PPIL’s website.

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