Abortion advocates must tell the truth

Despite claims that serious complications from the abortion pill only occur in “less than 0.5%” of cases, new data from the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) reveals the true risk is at least 22 times higher—research the abortion lobby would love to hide from the public. 

A comprehensive study released today from EPPC shows that more than 10% of women who took the Mifepristone pill experienced sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging or other serious problems within 45 days of the doing so. EPPC combed close to 900,000 insurance claims for women prescribed mifepristone abortions from 2017-2023. 

The FDA should view these findings and reconsider the safety of current, loose restrictions that put women in harm’s way. 

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, abortion activists have ramped up their advocacy for unrestricted access to the abortion pill, without regard to the serious potential side effects.  So committed are they to protecting abortion access, they reject basic, commonsense medical safeguards that would never be waived for any other procedure.

This presents dangerous health consequences, as more women take the abortion pill without physician presence or oversight. The Gutttmacher Institute reports that 63% of abortions are conducted via the pill, a 10% increase in the past four years. 

As chemical abortions become more common, so do the heartbreaking consequences—including the death of Amber Thurman, whose case gained national attention last year. After taking the abortion pill to end her twin pregnancy, her body retained fetal tissue, causing complications that ultimately claimed her life. Another woman, Candi Miller, died from similar complications. Miller, who suffered from diabetes, hypertension, and lupus, would have benefitted from consulting with a doctor given these overlapping complications. 

More tragic situations are on the horizon, as pro-abortion activists encourage women to forgo a doctor’s care and take the pills on their own. Inside a private Facebook group for women in my area, members openly encourage others to order abortion pills online—citing the state’s abortion ban as the reason. Social media users regularly upload videos with detailed instructions on where and how to get abortion pills. 

Will these anonymous commenters be there when the woman is bleeding out in her bathroom next week? Will they give her a ride to the emergency room if complications arise? Will they hold her hand when she imagines the child she might have had?

Despite abortion activists’ attempts to make abortion no big deal, it is a difficult choice for anyone to make. For this reason, many women take the pills alone at home, dealing with the physical and emotional consequences in solitude. Search TikTok and you’ll find countless videos of people recounting #abortiongrief, something rarely spoken of publicly. 

Most directives say the pill should be taken before 12 weeks of pregnancy, though earlier than 8 is recommended.  But, when women access the pill without a doctor’s care, they may misestimate how far along they are in pregnancy. They also risk not discovering a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy that must be surgically removed. 

A study by Oxford Academic found that 40% of those who take the pill past 10 weeks increase their risk of emergent surgery. Mifepristone even includes a warning label that women may require “surgical intervention” and suggests they not take the pill if not close to a medical facility. 

Yet, pro-abortion forces often call the pill safe, always noting that complications are extremely rare and “usually easy to take care of.” 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the abortion pill works by “stopping the growth of pregnancy and then causing the uterine lining to shed.” Planned Parenthood explains that the pill “causes cramping and bleeding that can last several hours or more.” 

In plain terms, the abortion pill kills a living, growing baby and induces severe bleeding to expel the body—an agonizing process that pro-abortion activists often minimize or ignore. 

Patients can also expect to experience nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, diarrhea, and headaches. Medical sources note that women may pass clots “the size of a small lemon.” But it's disingenuous to pretend we don’t understand what—who—that clot truly contains. 

Even without complications, taking the abortion pill is a deeply traumatic experience because it involves initiating the death of a developing human life within one’s own body. But given the EPPC’s research on the dangers of mifepristone, the FDA has a responsibility to communicate clearly the true risks. No woman should take this drug without medical supervision or a full, honest understanding of the potential consequences. It’s time for abortion advocates to tell the truth.