The Economist September 19th 2020 |United States| Abortion by pill | “No scrubs” “Medical technology is once again changing America’s original culture war”
Summary of Article
Used to be terminating an unwanted pregnancy required an abortion clinic procedure after a referral from a physician. Today an online consultation, at Aid Access, giving instructions and low cost prescriptions can facilitate “an abortion at home.” Twenty years ago, the FDA-approved two pills when taken as directed that are safe and effective for terminating early pregnancies-those being less than 10 week's gestation. These active agents are mifepristone-which blocks progesterone action and then taken several hours later misoprostol-which induces uterine contractions.
Of course abortion has been an American culture war! Forty-four years ago, three years after the landmark Supreme Court decision of Roe V Wade allowing legal abortions, the use of Federal Funds for abortions was blocked. Now, a widely reported consequence of the COVID pandemic has been an increase in demand for longer-acting contraceptive drugs and abortions. “Abortion-rights” groups and the “American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists subsequently lobbied the FDA” to drop a requirement that women get mifepristone directly from “a doctor’s office or clinic." This action is a safeguarding action aimed at reducing exposure and spread of COVID-19 that could happen by long waits at the clinic. They also note that “research suggests the drug is safe.” “In July, a Federal judge ordered the [mifepristone] rule be lifted during the COVID-19 epidemic.” Since then “The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to intervene.” Regardless of the Federal action, there are still 15 states that “require a doctor’s presence.” “Most of the women Aid Access helps are the poor” who can’t afford to travel for access.
“For the majority of Americans, who believe that abortions should be legal in the first trimester but not thereafter, the growth of abortion medication is good news.” “Research suggest that access to medication using telemedicine leads to fewer second-trimester abortions.”