24th Anniversary of FDA Approval of Mifepristone

On September 28, 2000, the Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone to be available to the American public. Its introduction was critical in expanding the options available to patients in need of medication abortion care.

Dr. Jamila Perritt, ob/gyn in DC and President & CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health, reflects on the anniversary:

"As an obstetrician and gynecologist, I've witnessed firsthand the profound impact that access to mifepristone has had on my patients over the past 24 years. This medication, widely recognized as safe and effective, has allowed countless individuals to make deeply personal, life-saving decisions about their reproductive health with dignity and autonomy, supported by evidence-based care. Whether for medication abortion or managing miscarriage, mifepristone has been an essential tool in ensuring that people receive the best possible care.

These restrictions, fueled by misinformation and fearmongering, disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of our communities.

"Yet, despite decades of research affirming the safety of mifepristone, safer even than medications like Tylenol or penicillin, it has become the target of relentless legislative attacks. These restrictions, fueled by misinformation and fearmongering, disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of our communities. Many people already face barriers to access reproductive health care. This is magnified for those at the margins of care. Legal restrictions on mifepristone only heighten these challenges. More often than not, patients are forced to travel long distances, delay care, or forgo the care they need altogether.

"I have supported and counseled patients terrified of seeking abortion care in a hostile state, despite knowing that it is the best decision for them and their families. I have cared for patients suffering from pregnancy loss without access to the care and medications they need because of unnecessary legal hurdles.

"Despite these attacks, the science remains clear: mifepristone is and has been an incredibly safe and essential medication. Every patient deserves access to it without being caught in political crossfire. They have the right to make informed decisions about their health care, based on facts, not fear. As health care providers, it is our responsibility to advocate for them within and outside of the care site.

Access to mifepristone is about more than health-it's about justice, autonomy, and dignity, and we will not stop fighting for it.

"At PRH, we have taken critical steps to push back against misinformation from anti-abortion extremists, show up for patients, and support one another as providers in the fight for evidence-based care. We continue to speak out when anti-abortion extremists have attempted to use the courts to dismantle access to mifepristone, including filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States to challenge these unprecedented attacks on mifepristone. We will continue to advocate for care based on medical and scientific evidence, not ideology and politics to ensure that all people have the compassionate, comprehensive evidence-based health care they deserve. Access to mifepristone is about more than health-it's about justice, autonomy, and dignity, and we will not stop fighting for it."

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.