Why Does FDA Ban Mifepristone Abortion Pills In The US Markets?
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Raven Ruma
- . April 8, 2023
- . Update: April 9, 2023 4:02 am
Concern among proponents of reproductive health has been raised by the possibility of a ban on the drug mifepristone, which is used for both medical abortion and the treatment of high blood sugar.
To end early pregnancies, the medicine is frequently used with the pharmaceutical misoprostol. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that it will revoke the drug’s approval, citing safety issues.
Millions of women seeking abortions have used mifepristone since it was originally licensed in the US in 2000. Reproductive health groups disagree with the FDA’s decision to rescind the drug’s approval, arguing that it has a track record of efficacy and safety.
According to them, the FDA’s action will make it more difficult for women to get abortions, especially in areas with strong abortion restrictions.
Mifepristone’s FDA approval was revoked as a result of a protracted controversy regarding the drug’s safety.
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Although advocates for reproductive health claim that the danger is minor and that the medication is safe to use, the agency has previously mandated that the drug’s label contain a warning regarding the possibility of serious infections.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which asserts that mifepristone is a safe and effective drug, has also opposed the FDA’s decision.
Mifepristone has already been subject to limitations in the US prior to the FDA’s decision to rescind its clearance.
Reproductive health groups argued that the Trump administration’s 2019 implementation of the rule requiring women to have an ultrasound before being prescribed the medicine was medically unjustified and would make it more difficult for women to receive abortion services.
Mifepristone is still frequently used in other nations despite the FDA’s decision, including Canada and France.
The medication, according to proponents of reproductive health, is a crucial tool for women seeking abortion services, particularly in nations where access to safe and legal abortion is restricted.
They contend that the FDA’s decision will affect women’s health and have a chilling impact on the availability of abortion services in the US.
