America is flooded with abortion pills.
These deadly drugs account for more than 60% of all abortions in the United States, causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of unborn children each year.
The abortion pill is the first drug in a two-dose regimen. First, the mother ingests mifepristone, which causes the death of her unborn child. Then, after 24-48 hours, she takes misoprostol, which induces labor to expel the deceased child’s body from her womb.
First introduced in the U.S. in 2000, the use of mifepristone has rapidly expanded in the last few years. In 2011 roughly one-quarter of abortions were due to the pill, in 2020 more than one-half, and by 2023 almost two-thirds.
This growth in numbers has been enabled by a progressive weakening of safety regulations for the drug and by a concerted political effort to increase the availability of abortion by spreading the pills throughout the country.
SAFETY REGULATIONS ERODED
The original FDA regulations for mifepristone abortions required each of the pills to be dispensed by a physician at an in-person visit. An additional follow-up visit was required after the abortion to screen for complications.
But in 2016 the requirement for a follow-up visit was dropped, along with the requirement that the drug be prescribed by a physician.
In 2021 the FDA eliminated the requirement that a mother seeking an abortion visit a medical facility at all. After this change, the drug could be dispensed through the mail after only a virtual consultation.
And changes in 2023 allowed the abortion pill to be obtained from regular pharmacies.
These changes have weakened safeguards for the mother’s health.
Forgoing an in-person consultation, for example, makes it difficult to screen the mother for potentially complicating factors such as ectopic pregnancy.
And without a required follow-up, it is difficult to monitor the mother for complications after the abortion and to evaluate her need for additional care. Besides the medical risks, there are other dangers associated with providing the pill through the mail. There have been multiple reported cases in which men obtained abortion pills and gave them to their pregnant girlfriends without their knowledge or consent, causing the deaths of their unborn children.
Since the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, the provision of abortion pills through the mail has also become part of a political strategy to undermine the laws of pro-life states.
Mail-order abortion websites have proliferated. These have been combined with so-called “shield laws,” which prevent the prosecution of those who illegally mail abortion drugs into states with pro-life laws.
By saturating even pro-life states with the deadly drugs, mail-order abortion pills threaten to turn hard-won pro-life victories into a dead letter.
PRAY, THEN ADVOCATE FOR LIFE
How can we fight the spread of the abortion pill?
First, we must pray. St. John Paul II noted that in the face of so many threats from the culture of death, “a great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world.”
Pro-life prayers, novenas and blessings published by the U.S. bishops are available at www.respectlife.org/prayers.
We must remember that “our battle is not with flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). The fight against abortion will ultimately be won by spiritual means; that is, by drawing closer to Christ, the Lord of Life.
But we must also act, doing what we can in this world to resist the spread of abortion.
This Respect Life Month, the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities has asked us to reach out to the pharmacy chains and pharmaceutical companies that provide abortion pills.
We can call or write the companies that manufacture mifepristone – Danco, GenBioPro and Evita Solutions – and ask them to get out of the abortion business.
We can also contact pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS – and even speak to our local branches – to respectfully urge them not to dispense mifepristone for abortion.
This kind of consumer advocacy can help prevent our local pharmacies from turning into abortion clinics.
SHARE THE NEWS ABOUT REVERSAL
Finally, we can share life-saving information about abortion pill reversal. Medical professionals have discovered that in some cases, the abortion process can be reversed and the unborn child’s life saved after the mother has taken mifepristone, the first pill in the two-pill process.
Mothers who have recently taken the first pill can visit www.abortionpillreversal.com or call 877-558-0333 to receive medical assistance in trying to save their unborn children.
This Respect Life Month is a timely moment to focus on the threat of the abortion pill. Through prayer, advocacy, and sharing life-saving information, we can resist the spread of the culture of death and share the light of the culture of life.
To learn more and take action, visit www.respectlife.org/abortion-pills.
Father Peter Ascik is pastor and rector of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.