Mifepristone Access Swings In The Balance In Post-Roe World

30 Million US Women Of Reproductive Age Have Now Lost Abortion Access

03 Oct 2022

The US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, but numerous avenues could help to preserve access to abortion drug mifepristone – if legislators and lawmakers are willing to walk down them.

Protestor holding a sign reading 'Abortion is healthcare' — Around 40% of reproductive-age women in the US have now lost access to abortion care • Source: Shutterstock

Since the US Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization on 24 June, which overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade judgement that conferred the constitutional right to an abortion, over a dozen states have moved to enact restrictions on the procedure.

How Is A Medical Abortion Performed?

In a medical abortion, two different medications are taken: mifepristone, which blocks the action of progesterone on the uterus and prevents further growth of the pregnancy, followed 24 to 48 hours later by misoprostol, which causes the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy. In the US, this process is approved for use up to 10 weeks gestation. In 2020, medication abortion accounted for 54% of abortions in the US according to the Guttmacher Institute.

While mifepristone is primarily used to terminate pregnancy, misoprostol has numerous indications outside of abortion, including preventing stomach and duodenal ulcers, inducing labor and treating postpartum bleeding.

Eleven states are currently enforcing near-total abortion bans, while six others have implemented restrictions on access to the procedure since...