New study: Mifepristone far more dangerous than advertised

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Mifepristone, one of two pills used in facilitating chemical abortions, gained FDA approval twenty-five years ago after a study of just under thirty-one thousand participants showed that less than .5 percent experienced serious adverse reactions. That statistic has since been cited to defend not only the use of the pill but also the removal of almost every safeguard that was put in place when it was first introduced to the public. 

Initially, women could not obtain the drugs until going to three in-person visits, after which only a physician could prescribe and dispense the pills, which had to be taken in the doctor’s office. An in-office follow-up visit was also required, and any adverse events that resulted from the pills had to be reported.

Now none of what I just described is still the case. All that is required today for a woman to receive the pills necessary to end a pregnancy is a Teladoc appointment and a mailing address. So, perhaps it should not come as a surprise that mifepristone is not nearly as “safe and effective” as originally thought. And the reality is far worse than you might imagine. 

A recent analysis by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) of more than 865,000 cases since 2017 has shown that “10.93 percent of women experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days following a mifepristone abortion.” That means serious complications are twenty-two times more likely to occur than either the FDA or the pill’s makers have claimed.

How the EPPC study was done

The EPPC came to these conclusions by analyzing “real-world insurance claims data for 865,727 prescribed mifepristone abortions, broadly representative of women who obtain mifepristone abortions in the US today.” As such, where the initial study revolved around a closely monitored and selected group of women who took the pills under the care of a doctor, this latest study is far more representative of how this kind of abortion is actually obtained and administered today.

Considering that chemical abortions account for roughly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States, an accurate assessment of the risk they pose to those who choose to take them is essential. And, if anything, the EPPC study undersells the problem.

The folks behind the research were intentionally conservative in their approach to the study. Where the FDA uses a 72-day timeframe for tracking adverse events, they limited the scope of their findings to 45 days. Moreover, by relying on insurance claims to form their data set, they could not capture statistics for women who purchased the pills through cash pay transactions, which “are disproportionately common for abortion.”

As such, while the rate of serious complications in nearly 11 percent of cases is likely accurate for women who were not part of their study, the raw numbers are much higher.

So, where are we likely to go from here? Will the new research lead to real change or fall on deaf ears? 

Fortunately, there could be some good news in this regard.

Where do we go from here?

In a conversation with Amna Nawaz of PBS News last week, Dr. Marty Makary, the new commissioner of the FDA, was asked about mifepristone and if the FDA might move to impose new restrictions on the drug. In response, Makary stated, “I have no plans to take action on mifepristone.” But while that statement is not exactly encouraging, he didn’t stop there. Malkarky went on to add that:

“I believe as a scientist, you got to evolve as the data comes in. And, as you may know, there is an ongoing set of data that is coming into FDA on mifepristone. So if the data suggests something or tells us that there’s a real signal, then I—we can’t promise we’re not going to act on that data that we have not yet seen.”

In the wake of EPPC’s report, Senator Josh Hawley, who sits on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, penned an open letter to Dr. Makary urging him “to follow this new data and take all appropriate action to restore critical safeguards on the use of mifepristone.” He gave the FDA commissioner until May 15 to respond, with the clear expectation that the data from EPPC should lead to fundamental changes in how mifepristone is administered. 

Moreover, when the Supreme Court heard a case on the ongoing legality of the drug last June, it ruled against a challenge that would have made it more difficult to receive it. However, it did so because the group that brought the case before them lacked standing rather than because the case itself was without merit. As I wrote at the time, Justice Kavanaugh—who wrote the majority opinion for the Court—strongly intimated that any group that brought a similar case with standing in the future might expect a different and more positive outcome.  

It is possible that the latest data on just how much the FDA and the makers of mifepristone have misrepresented its safety could give additional grounds for such a case to be brought again. 

Celebrating each victory

Ultimately, it’s too soon to know what impact the EPPC study will have on abortion pills and their availability, but any additional limitations and safeguards around who is eligible to receive them could help save tens of thousands of lives, both among the unborn and their mothers. And that is a possibility worth celebrating, even if it falls short of the complete removal of abortion pills from the marketplace.  

You see, one of the most challenging aspects of being pro-life in our culture today is the knowledge that we are unlikely to ever see abortion removed as an option for those who wish to end their pregnancy. While we can and should work to that end, both by changing laws and—more importantly—changing hearts, we can’t afford to become so fixated on that goal that we fail to appreciate the smaller wins along the way. 

Just as heaven rejoices when a single soul is saved, we too should rejoice every time a mother chooses life (Luke 15:7). If the EPPC study leads to changed laws and greater protection for both the unborn and their mothers, then that is a win and should be celebrated as such.

Will you join me in praying for that outcome today? Will you pray that this study finds its way to the right people and that laws are changed to reflect reality on this issue? And, lastly, will you pray that God works in the hearts and minds of every person considering abortion today and helps them choose life, both for themselves and for their child? 

These are prayers our heavenly Father longs to answer, and we should rejoice with him every time he does. 

Let’s start today. 

Quote of the day:

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” —Cicero

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