The abortion pill, a battleground for abortion access in the United States

How much is used?

More than half (53%) of abortions in the United States in 2020 were by medication, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

It is lower than in some European countries, such as France, where this method has been permitted since 1988 and medical abortions accounted for about 70% of voluntary interruptions in pregnancy in 2020.

How it works?

The abortion pill is different from the “morning after” pill that a woman can use after sex to prevent pregnancy.

Abortion pills are taken to induce a miscarriage as soon as a woman confirms that she is pregnant.

The method that is licensed in the United States, as it is in many countries, actually uses two drugs. The first is mifepristone (or RU 486), which stops pregnancy from developing by acting on a hormone called progesterone. The second, misoprostol, is taken a day or two later and causes cramping and bleeding.

At the time of the abortion, the woman is at home or in the place of her choice, and it is not required that she be in a health center.

Is it effective? Does it pose risks?

Experts say that abortions using mifepristone and misoprostol within the allowed time frame are safe and very effective.

Pregnancy is terminated in more than 95% of cases, according to various studies.

They have few complications (heavy bleeding, fever, infection, allergic reaction) that require medical advice.

However, the pills do not work for ectopic pregnancies (2% of ectopic pregnancies).

An ectopic pregnancy can be detected by ultrasound and must be treated, as it carries fatal risks for the affected woman.

The situation in the United States

In the United States, the use of mifepristone and misoprostol has been authorized by the FDA since 2000.

Initially, it was allowed up to seven weeks of pregnancy and later extended to 10 weeks after the last menstrual period.

Outside of that period, women who want to have an abortion must resort to vacuum abortion.

But since last summer, dozens of US states have declared abortion illegal, following a Supreme Court ruling that authorized them to legislate on the matter. In these countries medical abortion is prohibited.

Anti-abortion groups want to suspend the FDA’s authorization of mifepristone nationwide, including in states where abortion remains legal. There is a legal battle going on.