In an yet another attack on abortion care, a federal judge in Texas ruled in favor of anti-abortion organizations suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The lawsuit, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, challenges the FDA’s approval of mifepristone — one of two medications used in medication abortions. The court’s ruling means that it could become unavailable to people who need abortions.
Let’s look at a few facts about mifepristone and medication abortion:
- Medication abortion is safer than other common medicines like penicillin, Tylenol and Viagra.
- Medication abortion has a strong safety record — serious complications happen in less than ⅓ of 1% of cases, whether a patient gets their abortion pills in person, at a doctor’s office or remotely through a virtual visit.
- In 2021, more than half of all documented abortions were medication abortions.
These decisions are deeply troubling because they directly harm those who rely on mifepristone to terminate their pregnancies legally and safely. We should all be concerned when the government is making medical decisions for us instead of allowing us to make our own.
This case has revealed that anti-abortion activists and organizations have been working hard to decrease access to abortion, and we must fight against them in order to ensure women, trans people and nonbinary people can make their own health care decisions without interference from the state. It’s critical we recognize that every person deserves autonomy over their body, and lend our support to reproductive justice initiatives that aim to protect this right. Only when everyone has access to safe abortions will true justice be achieved.
Medication abortions are safe and are still available where abortion is legal, including Delaware, even if the case succeeds.
On Saturday, April 15, Planned Parenthood of Delaware hosted a Mifepristone Virtual Teach-In on Zoom to discuss the recent decision and its potential consequences. Missed it? No worries! Click here to watch it now.
You can also learn more and take action. If you need to make an appointment, click here.
Tags: Abortion, medication_abortion, mifepristone, womenshealth