Medication Abortion Is Available
A medication abortion uses two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol, to cause a person to pass a pregnancy, like a miscarriage. Mifepristone is safe, effective, and has been used by more than 5 million people in the U.S. since the FDA approved it more than 20 years ago.
Late on Friday evening, April 7th, in an unprecedented and deeply harmful move, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump-appointed judge in Texas ruled in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration et al to suspend the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone. This decision threatens the 22-year approval of one of two medications used in the most common medication abortion regimen in the United States. The judge stayed the decision for 7 days to give the federal government seven days to seek appellate relief. As of right now, approval of mifepristone remains protected.
What would this ruling mean?
If allowed to take effect, this ruling would gravely limit abortion access across the entire country, including in states where abortion is protected. Despite the fact the FDA rigorously tested the safety and effectiveness of mifepristone prior to its approval over twenty years ago, AND decades of data have continued to confirm it is safe and effective, this judge is unilaterally removing FDA approval of and access to mifepristone from the U.S. market. This decision is part of an agenda to ban medication abortion and all abortion nationwide. It’s not based on scientific evidence and facts.
Is medication abortion still available at your clinics?
Yes, we are still prescribing mifepristone. If and/or when we will no longer be able, we will still provide medication abortion using misoprostol-only. Misoprostol used alone can safely and effectively end a pregnancy. Misoprostol alone is likely the most common method of medication abortion used worldwide.
People always have and always will need abortion care. No one should have their options for abortion care limited by politics. Politicians and courts will not change that and should not interfere with our health care decisions. People should be able to get their abortion care in the way that’s best for them and we’ll keep fighting to make that a reality.