Earlier this week, NC Family joined the Family Research Council, the Family Policy Alliance, and Family Policy Councils across the country in signing a joint letter urging President Trump to re-evaluate the safety of the chemical abortion drug mifepristone.
Read the letter to President Trump
What is Mifepristone?
Mifepristone is a drug that is used in a two-drug chemical abortion regimen. It works by blocking progesterone, effectively starving the baby. It is followed by misoprostol, which causes the uterus to contract and expel the dead baby. While many states, including North Carolina, require it to be administered in the presence of a medical practitioner, it is now available to receive by mail. This allows women and girls in states with more comprehensive abortion laws to obtain the drug and perform very dangerous at-home chemical abortions.
The Dangers of Mifepristone
A recent analysis of insurance data reveals that 1 in 10 patients experience a serious adverse event after a mifepristone abortion. According to Mayo Clinic, Mifepristone has a wide variety of “common” side effects, including:
- Cold sweats
- Fast heartbeat
- Blurred vision
- Seizures
- Slurred speech
The more severe side effects include things like:
- Excessively heavy bleeding
- Fainting
- Skin rash
- Vomiting
- Large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
- Trouble breathing
All drugs can have dangerous side effects, which is why it is important that women understand what they are taking, the risks associated, and the complications to look for. This is why North Carolina has required mifepristone to be administered in the presence of a medical practitioner, to help ensure that women receive the necessary education. Now, however, many women are receiving the chemical abortion drugs through the mail without the supervision of a doctor. Tragically, women have died because they did not understand the medical implications of their decisions on their own bodies.
The Increasingly Fewer Safeguards
When the FDA originally approved the chemical abortion drug Mifepristone in the year 2000, a number of important safeguards were put into place, including:
- A limit only allowing the drug to be administered up to 7-weeks gestational age of the unborn child;
- Necessary doctor’s office visits;
- In-person physician dispensing and administration of the medication; and
- Non-fatal adverse event reporting.
In 2016, the FDA loosened some restrictions, allowing:
- Prescriptions of the chemical to be made via telehealth;
- Non-physician providers to place orders for the drug;
- Prescriptions up to 10-weeks gestational of the unborn child;
- Elimination of the reporting of non-fatal events.
In 2021, the FDA further allowed Mifepristone to be shipped to patients through the mail.
In 2023, the Alliance Defending Freedom brought a case before the Supreme Court of the United States claiming that the reversal of important restrictions on mifepristone were unlawful, and placed women across the country at risk for serious complications from a chemical abortion. Unfortunately, SCOTUS ruled that those bringing the case lacked standing.
Protecting the Health of Women
As the letter states, “the FDA must investigate mifepristone, reconsidering its approval altogether. The lives of women and unborn children and the rights of states depend upon it.” We pray that President Trump will see the dangers of mifepristone and take action to protect women across the country.
Read the Letter to President Trump.