Abortion pill mifepristone: An explainer and research roundup about its history, safety and future
Medication abortion is also known as abortion with pills or medical abortion. This piece aims to help inform the narrative on medication abortion with scientific evidence. It is endorsed by several organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and the American Medical Association.
Safety and Clinical Guidelines
The Food and Drug Administration has approved medication abortion for up to 10 weeks of pregnancy and the World Health Organization authorizes its use for up to 12 weeks. Additionally, medication abortion can also be used beyond 12 weeks of pregnancy, according to several organizations including the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.
The following data highlights the guidelines and prevalence of medication abortion usage:
| Category | Detail |
| FDA Approval Limit | Up to 10 weeks of pregnancy |
| WHO Authorization | Up to 12 weeks of pregnancy |
| Prevalence | Accounted for 51% of all abortions |
Legal Challenges and Supreme Court Rulings
On June 13, the Supreme Court justices in a unanimous decision preserved access to mifepristone, a medication that’s used for the safe termination of early pregnancy. The justices wrote that “federal courts are the wrong forum for addressing the plaintiffs’ concerns about FDA’s actions.” This decision was reached after the legal future of mifepristone had hung in the balance for several months.
Previously, in August 2023, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that mifepristone should not be prescribed past the seventh week of pregnancy, prescribed via telemedicine, or shipped to patients through the mail. In response, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a statement urging the court to rule in favor of keeping the pill on the market and available to patients.
Impact on FDA Authority
A federal judge in Texas ruled to invalidate the FDA’s 23-year-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone in an unprecedented move. No federal court has ever “second-guessed the science” behind the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a medication, says Boston University health law professor Nicole Huberfeld. This ruling concerns mifepristone, the first of a two-drug protocol for a medical abortion.
Professor Huberfeld states that “The court—and really, this judge—doesn’t have the expertise to second-guess the FDA in this way.” President Joe Biden added that if this ruling were to stand, then there will be virtually no prescription, approved by the FDA, that would be safe from these kinds of political, ideological attacks.
Research on Media Coverage
It’s important for journalists covering abortion to have a good understanding of medication abortion so that they can better inform their audiences. A recent analysis of more than 1,100 articles finds that while U.S. newspapers are treating the topic of abortion in general as serious policy issues, they are under-covering medication abortion considering its prevalence as the leading abortion method in the U.S. Furthermore, less than half of the articles included basic facts on medication abortion, and only one in five articles included a personal story of someone seeking abortion.