FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2016
[email protected]
Today, NARAL Pro-Choice America applauds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approving critical label changes for Mifeprex®, medication abortion commonly known as mifepristone. The label changes will allow women to use mifepristone up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy. Medication abortion has been used globally for nearly 40 years, and is safer than Tylenol, Flonase, Zithromax, or even Viagra. More than one and a half million women have used mifepristone since its FDA approval in the United States with incredibly low risk of an adverse effect. The FDA understands this and is rightfully choosing to side with science instead of politics with today’s changes.
Ilyse Hogue, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America, released the following statement on the FDA decision.
“Unlike state and federal anti-choice laws that restrict a woman’s access to an abortion, the FDA decision to make mifepristone available to more women in this country is based on science that shows this usage is safe and medically sound. It’s high time to put medicine back into the hands of medical professionals and take it out of politicians’ hands.
“The FDA’s action will go a long way towards allowing women to make their own decisions about their health care, and their futures. This approved label change is welcome news and deserves to be celebrated, especially in the face of a barrage of extreme laws that make abortion unavailable and undermine a woman’s ability to live the life she chooses.
“While this is welcome news, we still believe that the FDA can take steps to eliminate certain unnecessary distribution requirements. We will be pushing for these changes in the future, but today, we thank the administration and the manufacturer of Mifeprex® for taking steps in the right direction to empower women and medical professionals.”
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