Mifepristone, a medicine used in abortions, is now available in US pharmacies as a result of a decision made by the Joe Biden administration. This new research is extremely pertinent in view of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Retail pharmacies can now sell mifepristone as long as a qualified physician fills the prescription, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
What is mifepristone? Why is it important?
Progesterone, a hormone necessary for a pregnancy to develop, is inhibited by mifepristone. When administered alongside misoprostol, it is used to end pregnancies up to 10 weeks gestation (70 days or less since the first day of the last menstrual period). It is important to remember that ladies will need a prescription to purchase mifepristone.
The abortion pill, mifepristone and misoprostol, are no longer considered illegal in the United States. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA began allowing the pills to be sent via mail. Many pregnant women living in places where abortion is now prohibited are likely to turn to medication abortion, by using the abortion pill.
Currently, 50% of abortions carried out in the US are caused by medication. Now that in-clinic abortion services are either outlawed or under danger in more than half of US states, it is projected that the abortion pill will become an even more important option. The maternal and infant death rates in US states that now limit or outlaw abortions are much higher than those in those that continue to allow access to abortion services.
Since the 1980s, the number of abortion providers in the US has sharply declined. States that now ban or restrict abortions have higher rates of maternal and newborn mortality than those that maintain access to abortion care. There were 2,908 facilities that performed abortions in 1982, including 789 clinics, 1,405 hospitals, and 714 doctor’s offices.
Mifepristone and abortion rights activists
Abortion rights activists and doctors’ groups have welcomed the move, with Planned Parenthood calling it a ‘game changer’. In contrast, Marjorie Dannenfelser, head of the anti-abortion organisation SBA Pro-Life America, asserted that the most recent FDA action puts women’s safety at risk.
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