Those who are pro-life are aware that the majority of abortions in the United States are now chemical abortions, which are euphemistically labeled “medication abortions.” They are aware that the dangers of the two-drug protocol are being ignored in the rush to expand its usage even further.
Additionally, they are aware that the Biden administration has removed numerous safeguards that were in place a year and a half ago. In December, the Biden FDA eliminated the requirement that women visit the abortionist’s office in person to receive their chemical abortion drugs. The drugs can now be mailed to them, a process known as “Do It Yourself” abortions, which carries a significant risk of complications. The FDA has a long-outdated record of more than two dozen deaths and thousands of serious complications associated with the use of mifepristone.
In a press conference held yesterday, leaders of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) asserted that the White House and leading medical groups are failing to adequately warn the public about the potential dangers associated with allowing at-home chemical abortion medication to be delivered. The procedure is conducted by mail without an in-person clinic visit, as reported by Valerie Richardson [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jul/6/post-roe-push-increase-access-abortion-pills-hits-].
“It is imperative that we safeguard our female patients from the growing trend of self-administered medication abortions,” stated Dr. Christina Francis, a board-certified OB-GYN in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the incoming CEO of the pro-life physicians group. “This practice is inherently dangerous,” she emphasized. “The use of these medications outside of a medical setting can have numerous adverse consequences.”
In contrast, the White House has taken a different stance. In a recent development, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra indicated that his department would seek to make abortion pills more accessible through federal programs.
First, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will take steps to increase access to medication abortion. Federal law requires that our programs provide medication abortion in limited circumstances, including the life of the woman, rape, or incest. It is imperative that all federally-supported programs and services comply with this law and provide this service.
Dr. Francis warned that this is a recipe for disaster. In-person examinations assist in determining the gestational age of the pregnancy prior to the administration of the medication. Additionally, women should be screened for a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, which occurs in 1 in 50 pregnancies, preferably with an ultrasound. This is according to Dr. Donna Harrison, CEO of AAPLOG and a board-certified OB-GYN.
“By not having an ultrasound, by allowing home use, you have 1 out of 50 women who are at risk of dying because the symptoms of a rupturing ectopic pregnancy are exactly the same symptoms as a Mifeprex abortion: pain and bleeding,” she said.
“There have been women who have called with pain and bleeding and they were told, ‘Honey, lay down and take a Tylenol,’ and they bled to death because they had a rupturing ectopic pregnancy,” she said.
AAPLOG, with 7,000 members, polled 1,600 registered voters from June 3-6. 54% oppose unsupervised, at-home medication abortions, 30% support them, and 10% are undecided. Richardson writes
The survey included a question about emergency room visits resulting from chemical abortions. Citing its analysis of Medicaid claims data, the group said the number of visits increased 500% from 2002 to 2015.
“That figure was before the FDA relaxed its rules, and with all of these restrictions in place, with women having to see a physician in person,” Dr. Francis said.
“So we know that these complications are only going to increase when you remove the physician from that process,” she said. “So we need to call for better health care for our patients. Women deserve better than what they’re receiving from the abortion industry. They deserve accurate information.”
The Abortion Industry scares women into thinking doctors won’t treat them for miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies.
“Women will not be in danger of not being treated for ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, or other pregnancy complications,” Dr. Francis told Richardson. “I’ve been in practice for 14 years. I have never needed to perform an abortion, and yet I have been able to provide excellent healthcare for my patients.”
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
