Northern B.C. woman says privilege 'a huge factor' in struggle to access abortion

Amber Zanon was almost unable to get an abortion  — despite living in British Columbia, a province that has promised to make reproductive rights accessible alongside other types of health care.

And she says she worries a focus on the political battle over abortion taking place in the United States is obscuring the barriers that exist for women who, like her, live in northern and rural parts of the province.

Last week, a leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court indicated a majority of justices are in favour of striking down the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which protects the right to perform abortions across the United States.

After that, Canada's Families Minister said American women seeking access to abortions would be welcome to cross into Canada, while B.C.'s finance minister Selina Robinson promised any changes to abortion access in the province would be "over my dead body." 

But 36-year-old Zanon knows from personal experience that actually getting an abortion in B.C. is not as easy as bold proclamations like those might lead many to believe.

In December 2015, Zanon discovered she was pregnant despite being on birth control, and says trying to access abortion services to meet provincial deadlines became a desperate race against time.

Zanon spoke to Daybreak North host Carolina de Ryk about the struggles British Columbian women can face even with legal access to abortion.

The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

What has it been like for you to watch what is happening in the States? 

Rage and compassion. I'm also encouraged to see steps being taken in our government to ensure this doesn't trickle north, but I am a little bit worried that we have this entitled, smug attitude of like, well, that can't happen here.

There are Conservative MPs that are endorsed by the [anti-abortion] Campaign Life Coalition that would love to limit choice and we just kind of pretend those guys aren't a danger to us and they very much are. 

What was your experience [seeking an abortion] like? 

Frightening. I discovered I was pregnant when I had an IUD in place, so I learned late because with a hormonal IUD I was not getting regular periods. I also discovered my pregnancy in mid-December and was told by my doctor there is a 12-week hard deadline for abortion and I needed an ultrasound first. The results of that took a full week.

Then my doctor offered to remove my IUD which could trigger a miscarriage. But on December 21st, with every abortion clinic in the province closing, I wasn't looking for a maybe.

I thought my doctor was going to help me. I didn't know that I would have to go and pound the pavement and figure out where I could go get this done. It was not available in Terrace.

So what did you do?

Had sort of a panic attack and phoned the nurse hotline where I got clinic contact information. Some were really far away. I took a day off work and called every clinic. Some options were not an option at all because I didn't have a person in that town who could pick me up after and that is required. 

I managed to get probably the last appointment before the holiday closure on December 23rd at the Elizabeth Bagshaw Clinic in Vancouver. Then I had to book flights and hotel, organize a friend to pick me up — all on my own dime.

What did that tell you about what it could be like for other women in northern B.C.? 

If I hadn't been in a situation where I had the funds to book a flight at Christmas, if my flight hadn't gotten out, if I didn't have the wherewithal to make the phone calls I made or have someone to watch my child that I already had, it just wouldn't have happened. 

I walked away from the whole situation feeling like my privilege was a factor, a huge factor. 

What is the change that you would like to see that would help ensure that other women aren't in the same situation?

The abortion pill is available now and was not then. It wouldn't have helped me just because of the presence of the IUD, but that is something that's important and people should know about. 

There was this huge knowledge gap. I was older, I was educated, and I still didn't know how to access. This scares me for younger women, for vulnerable women, for poor women, for women who are in horrible situations. They need help. 

What would you like to see as a result of sharing this story? 

People love to say they don't like abortion but are glad it exists. I would like to flip that script and say, like, I don't really like abortion the same way I don't like a colonoscopy or mammogram, because it's an uncomfortable medical procedure, but I'm sure glad I have access.

I hope that our politicians are listening and they're understanding that this is something that is not just a health issue, but it's an economic issue.

This is something that will prevent a woman from accessing the workforce. This will keep her in poverty. These are things that cross the spectrum in terms of political, political understanding and political need.