The FDA’s New Rules on Chemical Abortions Backs the Abortion Industry and Puts Women’s Lives at Risk

Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made permanent its April 2021 order that removed the required in-person doctor’s visit for women seeking a chemical abortion. Today’s decision by the FDA allows the abortion pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, to be distributed by mail after a woman has a telehealth call with an abortion provider.

“Virginia Society for Human Life (VSHL) decries the reckless standards for the dispensing of dangerous chemical abortion drugs.  These new rules make permanent changes made by the administration during the pandemic and are clearly only in the interest of abortion promoters.” said Olivia Gans Turner, president of VSHL.  “The tragic reality of these drugs is that they kill an unborn child and have the potential to put the mother’s health and sometimes her life at risk. The abortion industry only cares about the money they can make from these easier distribution regulations.”

The FDA has a record of nearly two dozen deaths and thousands of complications associated with the use of the mifepristone/misoprostol abortion-drug combination. These dangerous pills have documented “adverse events” including serious infections and severe hemorrhaging. The FDA has had limits on distribution of mifepristone since its approval in September of 2000, and has placed the drug under a special “risk evaluation and mitigation strategy,” or REMS, that it has for drugs that may be associated with life-threatening side effects.

Since October 1, 2021, Virginia abortionists and promoters have been able to send these dangerous chemicals through the mail to women as young as 18 without any doctor’s visit and only one tele-med meeting. Nurse practitioners were granted permission to perform abortions and prescribe chemical abortion drugs in 2020 when Virginia’s pro-abortion Majority at the General Assembly (GA) voted to remove regulations protecting women who were considering an abortion.  The protective laws required that only a licensed physician be allowed to perform abortions was among many protections that were stripped away during the 2020 GA Session.

“The action of the FDA shows a shocking lack of regard for the safety and well-being of women which will now be in great peril from these mail order abortions.” Turner continued.  “This is further proof that the Biden Administration is ready and willing to do the bidding of abortion promoters who supported his election. The risk to unsuspecting women’s lives is a price they are willing to pay to get their way.”