Last week, the Food and Drug Administration expanded abortion access in the United States by permanently allowing abortion medication to be distributed by mail. Right-wing media and anti-abortion outlets are taking advantage of the announcement, spreading misinformation that abortion pills are dangerous to further stigmatize the health procedure.
According to NPR, as many as 40% of abortions occur via abortion pills. And contrary to conservative allegations, the abortion medication mifepristone is safe and highly effective, with less than 0.4% of patients requiring hospitalization or blood transfusions later and more than 95% of use resulting in successfully terminated pregnancies. Additionally, deaths associated with abortion medication are extremely rare, with less than a .001% frequency.
The FDA’s decision makes permanent a temporary rule allowing doctors to prescribe mifepristone via telehealth appointments and send them by mail, making abortion care more accessible to individuals unable to visit clinics in person. With the conservative-majority Supreme Court hearing a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade and Republican-led states enacting a record number of abortion restrictions and curbing access to abortion pills, federal protection of abortion medication marks a significant step in ensuring bodily autonomy and securing health care access.
Right-wing media have used this decision to undermine the safety of mifepristone and vilify abortion. These attacks fit into a...
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