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Articles on Medication abortion

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In addition to evaluating new drug applications, the FDA also inspects drug manufacturing facilities. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Flickr

Challenging the FDA’s authority isn’t new – the agency’s history shows what’s at stake when drug regulation is in limbo

As the government’s oldest consumer protection agency, the FDA has long butted up against drugmakers, activists and politicians. But undermining its work could be harmful to patient health and safety.
Legal battles are being waged over mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortion. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Medication abortion could get harder to obtain – or easier: There’s a new wave of post-Dobbs lawsuits on abortion pills

A rash of pending lawsuits raises questions about the FDA’s approval of mifepristone two decades ago, whether the drug can be legally mailed and the constitutional right to interstate commerce.
The rule change has little to no effect in states where abortion is banned or restricted. LaylaBird/E+ via Getty Images

What the FDA’s rule changes allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to be dispensed by pharmacies mean in practice – 5 questions answered

The FDA’s allowance for pharmacies to dispense mifepristone will broaden access to the two-pill mifepristone-misoprostol regimen of medication abortion, which is 95% to 98% effective.
A self-managed abortion is the termination of pregnancy outside the formal health care system, often with self-sourced abortion pills. Liudmila Chernetska/iStock via Getty Images Plus

When abortion at a clinic is not available, 1 in 3 pregnant people say they will do something on their own to end the pregnancy

The fall of Roe v. Wade will result in more people deciding to privately end a pregnancy, a new study finds. But how often people will turn to safe versus unsafe options remains to be seen.
Primary care providers comprise nearly a third of the U.S. clinician workforce. Tetra Images/via Getty Images

How primary care is poised to support reproductive health and abortion in the post-Roe era

Primary care doctors have long played an important role in providing birth control. Now, with the fall of Roe, they could help fill a critical need for comprehensive family planning services.
The mifepristone pill is one option for medication abortion that can be purchased online and used at home. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

What is a medication, or medical, abortion? 5 questions answered by 3 doctors

Three experts answer questions about the effectiveness, safety and side effects of medication abortion, using mifepristone followed by misoprostol.
Removing ultrasound and pelvic exam requirements for medication abortion could help expand access to care. Oleg Rebrik/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Abortion pills are safe to prescribe without in-person exams, new research finds

During the pandemic, health care providers began prescribing abortion pills without requiring in-person exams. This practice could help people access the care they need when abortion rights are in limbo.

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