New legal offensive against abortion in the US

The offensive against abortion advances in the United States. Justice is issued these days on the prohibition of the mifepristone, a pill used in more than half of abortions made in that country.

Its use was suspended by a federal judge in Texas, despite the fact that it had for 23 years with the approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Mifepristone is one component of a two-drug regimen that can be used in the United States during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Apart from this suspension, another judge, from Washington, decided that 17 States could not withdraw the drug. The legal imbroglio promises to reach the Supreme Court.

For now, the Texas judge’s decision to suspend this pill is an unprecedented initiative. Astrid Ackerman is an attorney with the Center for Reproductive Rights. “It would be the first time that a court would challenge the approval of a medicine that the FDA considers safe. We have spent many years reviewing the scientific process. The FDA continues to fight for access to said medicine.”

What consequences could the suspension of mifepristone decided by Judge Kacsmaryk of Texas have if successful? Astrid Ackerman responds: “What this judge has done is extremely radical. An extreme decision that can be devastating for women’s access to health in the US. The judge has a long history of ruling against abortion, and the words he uses to refer to the fetus show that conviction. During pregnancy he uses the term “unborn children” instead of “fetus”.

Add that President Joe Biden vowed to fight the ruling, warning that it was a major push to end legal abortion across the country.

How does it work?

The abortion pill is different from the “morning after” pill, which women can use after intercourse to prevent pregnancy. The abortion pill is taken to induce an abortion once the woman confirms that she is pregnant. In fact, it involves more than one pill. The first, mifepristone, also known as RU 486, stops the normal continuation of pregnancy by blocking the production of the hormone progesterone. Another medication, misoprostol, is taken 48 hours later and causes cramping, bleeding, and empties the uterus.

Abortion pills can be used at home and do not require medical assistance.

When was the abortion pill approved?

The FDA gave mifepristone and misoprostol the green light in 2000. They were approved for use up to the 10th week of pregnancy, after which a woman would need to abort using other methods, such as vacuum aspiration. The average cost of an abortion medication at Planned Parenthood is $580, but it can cost more than $800.

Is it safe and effective?

The use of the abortion pill for the specified period of time is considered safe and effective by medical experts.

Pregnancies are successfully terminated in more than 95% of cases using the pill, according to studies.

Serious complications, such as excessive bleeding, fever, infection, or allergic reaction, which require medical consultation, are rare.

The abortion pill does not work for ectopic pregnancies, in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, which account for about 2% of all pregnancies.