Before you get started, use this calculator to determine approximately how many weeks and days pregnant you are.

We strive to provide abortion care that meets our client’s unique needs and circumstances. Our abortion services aim to be trans-inclusive, barrier-free, and free interpretation services are available for all appointments.

The cost of appointments with SHORE Centre are covered for people with insurance coverage through Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), another Canadian province/territory, University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP), College International Health Insurance Plan (CIHIP), Interim Federal Health Plan (IFHP) or Department of National Defense (DND).

The cost of appointments at SHORE Centre for people without insurance can be found here: https://clinic.shorecentre.ca/fees/

 

To learn more about medication abortion before you make an appointment click here. If you are looking for more information about your abortion options, click here to read more about the differences.

When having a medication abortion at SHORE Centre you can expect the following to take place:

1. Request your appointment – click here to start the appointment request process online

• Complete the appointment request and the required questionnaires
• Our team will review your request and call you if additional information is needed to confirm your booking. Until you receive an appointment confirmation email, your appointment has just been held for you, it is not confirmed.
• You will receive a notification ONLY once your appointment is confirmed (typically within 2 business days)
• The appointment dates you see offered online are the earliest appointments we have available. Calling our office to request an appointment may cause delays as it will take us time to return your call. 

2. Attend your virtual appointment

• Meet with your SHORE clinician by telemedicine to review your medical history, determine what testing is needed before you take the medication, create your medication abortion plan and follow up

3. Do any testing that is needed before taking the medication

• Your clinician may need to review your test results before sending your prescription

4. Fill your prescription

• Pick up your prescription from the pharmacy and take it as planned

5. Complete any required follow up

• Follow up may include additional tests and/or appointments with your clinician, there are typically follow-up appointments booked 1 week and 4 weeks after taking the medication.

If you have decided to have a medication abortion, please read through the following information before requesting your appointment.

The Patient Portal is an important tool for your care.

The portal allows you to manage your appointments, complete necessary paperwork, view messages and files from your clinician and the SHORE Centre team, and update your profile information. 

With an Ontario health card (OHIP) the cost of blood work, ultrasound, appointments with SHORE Centre, and the medication abortion pills are covered. However, there may be additional costs for any additional medication prescribed to you (pain relief, anti-nausea, contraception, etc…).

Let us know when booking an appointment if you have coverage through: another Canadian province or territory, University Health Insurance Program (UHIP), College International Health Insurance Program (CIHIP), Interim Federal Health Program (IFH), Department of National Defense (DND). These insurance methods are accepted for for the cost of appointments with SHORE Centre, blood work, ultrasound, and any required hospital visits. Full coverage is different by provider.

Check with your insurance provider directly to see if your medication is covered. The Drug Identification Number (DIN) for medication abortion is 02444038.

We can work with you to determine what costs are covered by the insurance you have and help arrange financial assistance for you if needed. With some types of insurance, you may need to pay for your medical appointments and prescriptions first and then submit a claim to your insurance company for reimbursement.

Limited financial assistance may be available for people who do not have any health insurance (eg. health card, UHIP, CIHIP, Interim Federal Health Program, private insurance, etc…) and are unable to afford the costs related to their appointment at SHORE Centre. Financial assistance should be requested prior to booking an appointment.

Typical Costs without Insurance

• Appointments with SHORE Centre clinician – $234.85 – $275.00
• Blood work – $125.00 – $150.00
• Ultrasound – $65.00 – $165.00 
• Medication – $337.25 – $375.97

For a full list of fees for appointments at SHORE Centre, click here: https://clinic.shorecentre.ca/fees/

 

Limited financial assistance may be available for people who do not have health insurance that fully covers the cost of their appointments or medication and are unable to afford the costs related to their appointment at SHORE Centre. If you indicate you do not have insurance our team will assist you to apply for funding to cover the cost of your appointments and medications.

We work together with the National Abortion Federation to cover the cost of medication abortion for people without insurance coverage.

 

For in person appointments, check your confirmation email for location details.

For virtual apointments you will receive an email 5 minutes before your appointment time with the link to attend your appointment virtually. If you are unable to use or access the video conferencing platform, click here to review troubleshooting steps.

On average, this takes between 30 and 45 minutes based on individual needs. If you think you may need more time than this, please let us know and we can arrange a longer appointment with you. Your clinician will want to speak with you privately before inviting a support person to join you. If you would prefer to meet with the clinician without your support person present, please be sure to let us know. We can be discreet about why the meeting is just with you.

You will be asked questions about your medical history including:
– allergies, medications you use, medical diagnoses, past surgeries, previous pregnancies (births, miscarriages, and abortion)

You will make a plan for when you want to take the medication, what pain relief medications to use, and what testing needs to be done before you take the medication.

During this appointment your clinician can also go through information about birth control options if you like. They are able to prescribe the birth control method of your choice, make a referral for tubal ligation, and we can book you in for appointments for IUD and implant insertion at SHORE Centre.

Your clinician may order blood test, urine tests, or an ultrasound as part of your medication abortion plan.

Below is more information about the testing that you might need.

Blood and Urine Tests

CBC
The complete blood count, or CBC, lists a number of many important values. This information provides the clinician a better understanding of your overall health.

ABO
ABO grouping is a test performed to determine an individual’s blood type (eg. A, B, O, or AB).

bHCG
Beta hCG, also known as quantitative serum beta-HCG, refers to the testing of the amount of hCG hormone present in the blood.

Chlamydia (CT) and Gonorrhea (GC)
During an abortion cells infected with Chlamydia or Gonorrhea can travel from your vaginal opening up into your uterus. When the cells travel and are not treated, you are at greater risk for developing a secondary infection called Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. This test is offered to all SHORE Centre clients who will be having a medical abortion.

Ultrasound

An ultrasound can help determine how many weeks you have been pregnant and where the pregnancy is located.

An ultrasound exam uses high-frequency sound waves to scan the abdomen and pelvic cavity. In early pregnancy, a transvaginal ultrasound, using a specially designed probe is used inside the vagina to generate images. This ultrasound will help determine if the pregnancy is inside of the uterus or if it is ectopic.

Ectopic pregnancies (sometimes called “tubal pregnancies”) are when the pregnancy implants and grows in a fallopian tube rather than in the uterus. An ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening if it is not detected.

To prepare for your ultrasound you will be asked to drink one litre of water one hour before your appointment and not urinate until after the time of your ultrasound.

Your prescription will be faxed to the pharmacy of your choice and you can usually pick it up the same day. It is a good idea to call the phamacy before you go to ensure they have your prescription in stock and ready to pick up.

Mifegymiso is free with your Ontario Health Card. If you do not have have an Ontario Health Card, please let us know so that we can explore coverage options with you. If you have an Ontario Health Card and the pharmacy says you need to pay for Mifegymiso show the pharmacist this webpage.

After your medication abortion, you will have follow-up appointments scheduled for one week after you took the medication and/or four weeks after you took the medication. You may also need to do additional blood work, a urine test and/or an ultrasound.

As part of these check in appointments you will get a questionnaire by email a few days before your follow up appointment with your clinician, your answers to the questions will help your clinician have a full picture of your experience of taking Mifegymiso and help determine if the medication worked as expected.

In the rare case that Mifegymiso did not end the pregnancy as expected, you will discuss next steps with your clinician. These steps may include waiting longer, taking additional medication, or having a surgical procedure to complete the abortion.

Support from Our Counsellors

Our Options Team is available to support you at every step of your abortion. You can book a session with one of our counsellors by booking a Support Before an Abortion, or Support After an Abortion counselling session here: https://shore.inputhealth.com/ebooking

Support from Mia

Mia is your virtual companion during your medication abortion with SHORE Centre and is available 24/7. Mia will answer your questions, send you reminders and information about the medication, and follow up with you, all by text message. Mia will also alert your care team when there is a need for them to follow-up with you because of concerns. Mia is designed to be an ally for you through the medication abortion process. You will receive your first message from Mia shortly after your prescription has been sent to the pharmacy.

Please note that our office is closed after 4:00 PM Monday to Friday, on Saturdays, Sundays, and all statutory holidays.