A new Dutch website allowing women to order abortion pills online has temporarily suspended its services just five days after launching. The platform, Thuisabortus.nl, provides medication for women who are up to nine weeks pregnant, but its medical team has been unable to keep up with a surge in requests.
According to Nu.nl, the site received 150 requests in its first few days, averaging 30 per day. This significantly exceeded the expectations of founder and family doctor Peter Leusink, who anticipated only five to seven requests per day. Leusink explained that the team consists of family doctors processing applications outside their regular working hours. He noted that the original plan was to spend three hours a day on the service, but the high volume of interest made this impossible.
The “abortion pill” is not one pill, but consists of two types of medicine. The first medication is mifepristone, which reduces progesterone levels needed for a safe pregnancy. The second medication, misoprostol, causes uterine contractions. The two drugs in combination terminate pregnancy to about 99% effciency. The drugs can be prescribed up to 63 days after the last menstrual period (9 weeks of pregnancy).
Addressing backlog
To address the backlog, four or five more doctors will join the team this week. The website is expected to reopen after Easter with one doctor dedicated to the service full-time. The initiative has faced criticism from several medical organisations, including the family doctors association (LHV), the doctors federation (KNMG), and the abortion doctors association (NGvA). Critics argue that bypassing face-to-face consultations could mean vulnerable women who need extra support may be overlooked.
Leusink has dismissed these concerns as paternalistic, stating that women are always free to see their own doctor if they require more information. Karin van der Velde from the sex education centre Rutgers agreed, suggesting that the method of obtaining the pills does not influence a woman’s ability to make a firm decision about her pregnancy.
Recent research backs the telemedicine approach
A 2025 Cochrane systematic review analysed data from over 130,000 women. The study found that telemedicine models for early medical abortion are as safe and effective as in-clinic care. The study showed little to no difference in success rates, safety, or patient satisfaction between online and face-to-face services.
Leusink developed Thuisabortus.nl in collaboration with the patient organisation Ava Foundation. The service aims to increase accessibility for those who have already decided to terminate an early pregnancy. Online prescribing is legal in the Netherlands, and research indicates it is as safe and effective as in-person consultations.
NEWS BRAINPORT
