New research reveals abortion pills may be 22 times more dangerous than FDA reporting suggests, leaving thousands of women at risk of life-threatening complications.
At a Glance
- A study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) found the abortion drug mifepristone is 22 times more dangerous than FDA labels indicate
- Over 10% of women experience serious or life-threatening adverse events within 45 days of taking mifepristone
- Analysis of 865,727 women revealed 17,310 suffered serious adverse events after taking the pill in 2023
- FDA’s original approval was based on outdated clinical trials, some conducted 42 years ago
- Medication abortions now account for 63% of all abortions in the US, up from 31% in 2014
Alarming Safety Discrepancies Revealed
A comprehensive new analysis commissioned by the Foundation for the Restoration of America has uncovered troubling evidence that abortion pills pose significantly higher risks than officially reported. The Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) study found that the incidence of serious adverse events from mifepristone is nearly 22 times higher than indicated on the FDA’s current label for Mifeprex. While the FDA claims less than 0.5% of women experience serious adverse reactions, the research indicates over 10% of women suffer serious or life-threatening complications within 45 days of taking the drug.
The two-pill regimen, which involves taking mifepristone followed by misoprostol, can fail to completely expel fetal tissue, leading to potentially deadly complications including hemorrhaging, blood transfusions, emergency room visits, and conditions like sepsis. Unlike the FDA’s original approval data, which relied on trials from just 30,966 women (some conducted as long as 42 years ago), the EPPC analysis examined records from 865,727 women, providing a substantially more comprehensive safety assessment.
Widespread Usage Amplifies Concerns
The safety concerns have grown more urgent as mifepristone has become increasingly widespread in American healthcare. Medication abortions now account for 63% of all U.S. abortions, a dramatic increase from 31% in 2014. The FDA’s removal of requirements for in-person acquisition has further accelerated this trend, allowing women to order abortion pills online without direct medical supervision. Chemical abortions have surged from less than 100,000 to over 150,000 annually, partly due to this increased accessibility.
The research found that in 2023 alone, 17,310 women suffered serious adverse events after taking mifepristone. Particularly concerning is that Danco Laboratories, the primary manufacturer of mifepristone, has not conducted any after-market research on the drug’s complications since its original approval in 2000. This lack of follow-up research has created a significant gap in safety monitoring as the pills have become the dominant abortion method in America.
Calls for Regulatory Action
In response to these findings, Americans United for Life (AUL) and the EPPC are calling for the reinstatement of Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy policies that have been removed in recent years. John Mize, CEO of AUL, has announced plans to advocate for pro-woman policies addressing the risks associated with chemical abortion. The organization argues that the current regulatory framework fails to adequately protect women from known dangers.
Researchers emphasize that the discrepancy in risk disclosure fundamentally undermines informed consent for women considering medication abortion. The study analyzed government insurance claims between 2017 and 2023, suggesting the actual number of complications may be even higher than reported. Dr. Christina Francis, a pro-life OBGYN quoted in the report, raised concerns about increasing emergency complications, asking, “What has changed because we’re seeing so many more women come in with these complications.”