On Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration announced that it is relaxing its protocols for the use of the abortion drug Mifeprex.
Under the new regulations, it may be prescribed in 200 milligram doses instead of 600, 70 days after the start of a woman’s last menstrual period instead of 49, and with one fewer trip to an abortionist’s office.
Off-use labels of the abortion drug have become increasingly commonplace in the years since the FDA originally issued the protocols. Abortion advocates argue the protocols are medically outdated and that the update simply allows abortionists the discretion to practice their best medical judgment.
However, pro-lifers see the FDA’s latest move as a politically-motivated attempt to circumvent states which have been moving to mandate that abortionists comply with the protocol.
Chemical abortion drugs have been linked to several deaths by sepsis and many personal accounts of negative experiences, particularly in a 2011 study finding that chemical abortions carry substantially higher rates of medical complications than surgical abortions. Former abortionist Dr. Anthony Levatino explains the process and risks of a chemical abortion in this video release from Live Action:
