For greater than 20 years, medicine abortion has been a secure, efficient, FDA-approved technique for individuals to finish a being pregnant within the consolation of their very own houses. In states the place abortion stays authorized, medicine abortion is a necessary and broadly used choice for care; and as a consequence of its accessibility through telehealth and mail supply, it performs a important function in making certain secure and well timed entry to look after individuals who dwell far-off from the closest abortion supplier or face lengthy wait-times for an in-person appointment.
Whereas the Biden administration has taken latest motion to enhance entry to medicine abortion, anti-abortion politicians and extremist teams are utilizing each trick within the ebook to outlaw mifepristone — considered one of two medication utilized in medicine abortion — as a part of their bigger, concerted marketing campaign to finish abortion entry fully nationwide.
Listed here are a number of the key information you have to learn about mifepristone and why it’s a important a part of our struggle for abortion entry going into the brand new yr:
Mifepristone is a secure and efficient medicine used for abortion
The Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized mifepristone in 2000 as a secure and efficient strategy to finish a being pregnant. In the present day, based mostly on high-quality proof, mifepristone can be endorsed by main medical authorities just like the American Faculty of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as a part of the superior medicine therapy routine for miscarriage care.
Examine after research has proven the exceeding security and efficacy of mifepristone to be used in abortion and miscarriage care. In actual fact, mifepristone is safer than Tylenol and Viagra in terms of critical medical issues.
Remedy abortion accounts for greater than half of abortions throughout the nation
Since being authorized, mifepristone has more and more develop into a necessary a part of abortion entry throughout the nation. Even earlier than Roe was overturned, medicine abortion accounted for greater than half of abortions throughout the nation.
“It’s simply a lot simpler to really feel secure and supported and beloved once you’re having a medicine abortion, as a result of there’s extra of a degree of management that you’ve over the method than should you’re utilizing one other technique.”
— Maleeha Aziz, abortion storyteller and activist
Authorities mandates have already chipped away at medicine abortion entry by way of unnecessary restrictions and bans
Regardless of its approval and lengthy security track-record, the FDA has continued to impose a set of medically pointless restrictions on mifepristone, often called a Danger Analysis and Mitigation Technique (REMS), which has made it needlessly tough for girls and different individuals who want abortion care to entry the medicine. Remedy abortion has additionally confronted focused assaults by state politicians of their effort to push abortion out of attain little by little; and since Roe was overturned, abortion bans in a number of states have outlawed medicine abortion fully, together with procedural abortion care.
Credit score: Allison Shelley
ACLU lawsuits have prompted the FDA to repeal a few of these restrictions previously
Following the science, the FDA has repealed a number of medically pointless restrictions on mifepristone in recent times. Most importantly, ACLU lawsuits prompted the company to remove its illogical in-person capsule pick-up requirement and at last allow individuals to get the medicine by mail or from a pharmacy by prescription, slightly than having to journey to an abortion supplier which could possibly be hours away. Although that is significant progress, the FDA nonetheless imposes unnecessary restrictions on mifepristone that aren’t utilized to equally secure drugs. Notably, mifepristone’s security file stays simply as sturdy in nations which have eradicated medically pointless restrictions like people who the FDA continues to impose.
Remedy abortion is just not contraception or the “morning-after” capsule
Mifepristone is considered one of two medication utilized in abortion and miscarriage care, which is completely different from drugs used to forestall being pregnant within the first place — like contraception or emergency contraceptives, often known as the morning-after capsule. Based on main medical organizations, these drugs forestall being pregnant by impeding ovulation and stopping fertilization,and stay authorized in each state. Regardless of this clear distinction, which the FDA additional endorsed not too long ago, misinformation conflating contraceptives and abortion have continued to unfold.
As we navigate the primary yr with out the protections of Roe v. Wade, assaults by anti-abortion extremists and politicians on medicine abortion care will solely enhance. Already, state politicians have launched payments to curtail the usage of medicine abortion care and dark-money teams are devising methods to push care out of attain fully. Meaning it’s all of the extra essential to know this very important medicine and unfold the phrase.