Abortion Pills Could be Hope

By: Vivona Xu

Hours after the ruling of Roe v. Wade, conservative states such as Texas and Oklahoma began passing laws banning abortion. At the same time, the number of abortion pills being ordered has quadrupled for some abortion companies like Just the Pill, a nonprofit organization that arranges for patients to obtain abortion pills in several states.

Dutch doctor and abortion rights campaigner Rebecca Gompers said in an interview for U.S. News, "After the Supreme Court decision, we've seen an incredible increase in visitors to the websites, but also requests for help.”

Abortions pills might prove to be even more difficult to ban than closing clinics because it will be harder to police activities like sending or receiving pills by mail or traveling to another state where abortion is legal.

International websites and companies mailing medications to the U.S further complicate enforcement efforts. A Dutch pro-choice company, Women on Waves, and a European organization, Aid Access, both offer consultations with foreign doctors who write prescription medications for women up to 10 weeks pregnant.

There are many other benefits to abortion pills. Medication abortion is less expensive and gives the patient more privacy than surgical abortions. Unlike surgical abortions, abortion pills can be received through the mail and taken anywhere after an initial consultation with a doctor either virtually, in-person, or by filling out an online form.

Abortion pills are authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and are used in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, in which the patient is required to take two different drugs 24 to 48 hours apart to stop the development of the fetus. Then, the patient should expect heavy bleeding (like a period) from a process that causes contractions similar to a miscarriage to expel the embryo.

Recently, 19 states including Texas, Florida, and Georgia are starting to create laws preventing telemedicine abortions and prohibiting pills through the mail.

Luckily, states, where abortion remains legal, are passing bills to support women from states that ban abortion. Legislation in California would provide financial assistance to patients traveling from other states to obtain abortions and increase the number of abortion providers in California.

Many people, states, and companies are taking action to support abortion rights. Xavier Becerra, the secretary of Health and Human Services, said in his statement, “We stand unwavering in our commitment to ensure every American has access to health care and the ability to make decisions about health care — including the right to safe and legal abortion, such as medication abortion that has been approved by the F.D.A. for over 20 years.”

Sources:

What states will ban abortion? | khou.com

Surge in U.S. demand for Dutch abortion pills after Roe v. Wade decision (msn.com)

Abortion Pills Take the Spotlight as States Impose Abortion Bans - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Surge in U.S. Demand for Dutch Abortion Pills After Roe V. Wade Decision | Top News | US News