Discoveries in medical technologies and procedures over the last century have made a wide range of previously unthinkable life-saving advances in health care: Insulin can control diabetes; myriad viruses that were once lethal now have vaccines; hearts, not to mention nearly all organs, can be transplanted.

Not all medical advances are greeted with the same open hearts and minds, though. Certain practices that challenge what we believe to be ethically sound or morally right tend to stir up more images of a dystopian future than an improved or lengthened livelihood. This explains why innovations in the practice of abortions and birth control are generally viewed negatively, as are those who associate themselves with that line of work.

Therefore we find it noteworthy that Iowa, along with the cooperation of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, is the first state in the nation to offer an emerging technology to assist women who may not otherwise have access to clinics: “telemedicine,” or more specifically, abortions via videoconference. As reported by the New York Times in early June — the two-year anniversary of this practice — approximately 1,500 such abortions have been carried out around the state at 16 participating clinics.

The use of pills, specifically mifepristone and misoprostol, to terminate unwanted pregnancies was first approved by the Food & Drug Administration in 2000; according to the Planned Parenthood website, these drugs have a 97 percent success rate. Because this is not an easy issue to address, nor one that can be made without consultation and weighty consequences, usually women who opt for the pills are required to undergo ultrasounds, blood screenings, doctor consultations, and physical check-ups. They talk with their physicians in safe environments and are able to ultimately make their own decisions regarding their ability or preparedness to raise a child.

However, women living in rural areas or those who do not readily have access to Planned Parenthood facilities aren’t afforded such luxuries when it comes to family planning or prevention.

This is where the technological-advancement aspect comes into play; Planned Parenthood of the Heartland President and CEO Jill June told the Times how the idea for videoconferenced appointments originated.

“If they can do some of these complicated surgeries from miles and miles away from an operating room, why can’t I hand someone a pill across the state?” June said.

The procedure, as it is currently practiced, involves all of the same dynamics but is done with videoconferencing equipment; the patient and a nurse meet in a medical facility at one end, and a doctor consults from the other. There are question and answer sessions, and the nurse carries out all the physical tasks and examinations. If the doctor deems the patient mentally and physically prepared, he or she pushes a button, unlocking a drawer on the patient’s end. The nurse then administers the birth-terminating pills.

“I don’t feel like something is lost or missing,” Dr. Tom Ross of Planned Parenthood told the Times.

So far, there have been no reports of complications, with patients reporting themselves largely at ease with the new technique. Needless to say, not everyone is so pleased with this success.

Last spring, Operation Rescue, a Christian anti-abortion organization based in Wichita, Kan., filed a complaint with the Iowa Board of Medicine asking it to repeal the legality of the practice on the grounds that doctors were not physically overseeing the process.

“One way or another, we’re going to shut this down,” Operation Rescue President Troy Newmann said in an interview with Monica Davey of the Times. “Health care just isn’t a one-size-fits-all package of pills.”

We very much agree, because abortion isn’t a unisex decision or unilateral operation, much less a “package of pills.” This procedure, though not pleasant but sometimes essential, may revolutionize the abilities of women in Iowa and the world over to have greater autonomy over their bodies and their lives. For Iowans who can’t reach big city clinics, for women who can’t afford a surgical abortion, or even for girls and wives in developing countries who choose not to pursue a familial, housekeeping role — videoconferencing offers hope for their wants and their futures.

Americans view abortion “as an evil, while also regarding it, in certain circumstances, as a necessary evil,” said William McGurn of the Wall Street Journal; he noted that although 47 percent of Americans identified as anti-abortion in a recent Gallup Poll, an almost equal percentage said they were pro-abortion rights. It is important that we, as Iowans and Americans, see the value in leading the fight for both women’s choice and advances in women’s health.

We hope the state Board of Medicine does everything in its power to ensure that women retain control over their bodies and that Iowa remains a leader in revolutionizing medicine and a state that promotes free choice.