FDA to Review Abortion Pill Mifepristone, Raising Concerns Over Future Access

The Food and Drug Administration has announced it will review the safety and effectiveness of mifepristone, the abortion pill used in combination with misoprostol to terminate early pregnancies. The move comes under the direction of the Trump administration, which has framed the review as an effort to protect women’s health.

Abortion rights advocates, however, are raising concerns that the review may pave the way for new federal limits on access to the medication. Mifepristone has been legal in the United States since 2000, and clinical studies spanning decades have consistently shown it to be both safe and effective.

According to FDA data, the risk of complications from mifepristone is extremely low. For every one million patients who use the drug, there are five reported deaths — a rate comparable to common over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen.

Advocates argue that the decision to reopen review of the drug is not based on science, but on politics. They fear it could become the latest front in the national debate over abortion access, especially as more states move to restrict reproductive rights.

The FDA has not said how long the review process will take or whether it will result in new regulations. Until then, mifepristone remains approved for use in the United States.

Credit: CNN Newsource

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