Go to Content Go to Navigation Go to Navigation Go to Site Search Homepage

WASHINGTON D.C. - Today, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reaffirmed the safety  of mifepristone and the 2016 label for medication abortion in a report for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This follows the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2016 approval of a new label for Mifeprex (mifepristone), one of the medicines used in a medication abortion.  The new label updates the protocol for medication abortion so it reflects the most common evidence-based protocols recommended by Planned Parenthood, the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Society of Family Planning. The FDA’s approval of the new label was based on substantial evidence demonstrating that medication abortion is safe for virtually all women.

Today’s report follows a landmark study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine confirming that abortions in the United are safe and have few complications. The study also found that medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion make abortion less safe. Medication abortion is an extremely safe, effective method of ending an early pregnancy. American women have been safely and legally using medication abortion for well over a decade. In fact, one in four women decides to use this method if it is an available option. And medical studies have shown that medication abortion is just as safe as surgical abortion — which has over a 99 percent safety record according to data from the CDC and others. 

Statement from Dr. Gillian Dean, Senior Director of Medical Services at Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

This report is another affirmation that medication abortion is a safe and effective option for ending an early pregnancy. Studies show medication abortion has a 99 percent safety record, and that medication abortion is up to 98 percent effective in ending an early pregnancy. The results underscore that the 2016 label change was rooted in evidence-based medicine.

Medication abortion gives people the option of what may feel like a more private method of ending a pregnancy in a setting where they feel most comfortable, with support throughout the process by a medical professional. The patient is told how the process works, the range of normal symptoms to expect, and the warning signs to look out for. The patient also receives resources, including a medication guide and a telephone number to call anytime 24/7 if they have any questions or concerns.

In the extremely unlikely event that a patient experiences a serious complication from an abortion and requires hospital-based care, the high-quality, experienced physicians and nurses who work at Planned Parenthood have detailed systems in place to ensure that a patient gets care quickly. 

### 

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.

We and our third partners use cookies and other tools to collect, store, monitor, and analyze information about your interaction with our site to improve performance, analyze your use of our sites and assist in our marketing efforts. You may opt out of the use of these cookies and other tools at any time by visiting Cookie Settings. By clicking “Allow All Cookies” you consent to our collection and use of such data, and our Terms of Use. For more information, see our Privacy Notice.

Cookie Settings

We, and our third-party partners, use cookies, pixels, and other tracking technologies to collect, store, monitor, and process certain information about you when you access and use our services, read our emails, or otherwise engage with us. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences, or your device. We use that information to make the site work, analyze performance and traffic on our website, to provide a more personalized web experience, and assist in our marketing efforts. We also share information with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners. You can change your default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of required cookies when utilizing our site; this includes necessary cookies that help our site to function (such as remembering your cookie preference settings). For more information, please see our Privacy Notice.

Marketing

On

We use online advertising to promote our mission and help constituents find our services. Marketing pixels help us measure the success of our campaigns.

User Feedback and Session Replay

On

We use qualitative data from LogRocket, UserZoom, Hotjar and AB Tasty to learn about your user experience and improve our products and services. LogRocket allows us to view session replays.