With abortion access severely restricted or threatened in a number of states, some women are turning to “self-managed” abortions, obtaining the required medication online without doctor supervision.
Before the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24th, medication abortions made up more than half of abortions in the US. During the pandemic, federal regulators also dropped the requirement for an in-person visit to obtain the pills, allowing for the drugs to be mailed to patients after a virtual appointment. However, after the Supreme Court’s ruling, some states have banned access to this service.
The procedure consists of taking two drugs: mifepristone, which blocks the hormone, progesterone, followed by misoprostol, which causes the uterus to contract, one or two days later. In 2020, more than a half million women had medication abortions and fewer than 0.5% experienced serious complications, studies show. Hospitalizations and blood transfusions were needed for less than 0.4% of patients.
However, the drugs, regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, are supposed to be taken under doctor’s supervision and advises against online purchases of mifepristone without medical guidance. But the agency does not advise against buying misoprostol online.
Dr. Carolyn Westhoff, an obstetrician gynecologist and professor at Columbia University, says that taking the pills “on your own at home does not affect your risk of complications.”
However, she and other experts fear that women who self-manage their abortions will be reluctant to get medical help in states that have criminalized abortion.
Before the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24th, medication abortions made up more than half of abortions in the US. During the pandemic, federal regulators also dropped the requirement for an in-person visit to obtain the pills, allowing for the drugs to be mailed to patients after a virtual appointment. However, after the Supreme Court’s ruling, some states have banned access to this service.
The procedure consists of taking two drugs: mifepristone, which blocks the hormone, progesterone, followed by misoprostol, which causes the uterus to contract, one or two days later. In 2020, more than a half million women had medication abortions and fewer than 0.5% experienced serious complications, studies show. Hospitalizations and blood transfusions were needed for less than 0.4% of patients.
However, the drugs, regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, are supposed to be taken under doctor’s supervision and advises against online purchases of mifepristone without medical guidance. But the agency does not advise against buying misoprostol online.
Dr. Carolyn Westhoff, an obstetrician gynecologist and professor at Columbia University, says that taking the pills “on your own at home does not affect your risk of complications.”
However, she and other experts fear that women who self-manage their abortions will be reluctant to get medical help in states that have criminalized abortion.
