A recent article, written by TCA’s Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie, discusses why advocacy for medical abortion to be completely unfettered from medical and government oversight is a grave mistake and puts women and girls at risk of serious complications and even death.
Currently, medical abortions are performed using a combination of the drugs Mifepristone and Misoprostol and can only be administered legally in the United States by following FDA guidelines. The drugs must be prescribed by a licensed medical provider who has evaluated the patient clinically and who will re-assess the patient after the abortion. The FDA requires close physician oversight when this drug is administered because of two possible dangerous complications. One is sepsis, or overwhelming infection, and the other is ectopic pregnancy, or the implantation of a fetus in an abnormal location.
Currently, some groups are advocating for these drugs to be sold over-the-count and without medical supervision at all. One such group, Plan C, goes so far as to suggest that women obtain these pills, illegally, on the internet and from foreign sources.
Those pushing to make chemical abortion available all the time and for anyone with zero regulatory or medical oversight are pointing to unscientific studies to support this call rather than deferring to the serious assessment and warnings given by the FDA. Such advocacy with no concern for safety is the furthest thing from promoting the well-being of women.
