Tag: Abortion Pills

Medication abortion uses two FDA-approved oral medications to end a pregnancy: mifepristone and misoprostol, commonly referred to as “abortion pills.” Mifepristone interrupts the flow of the hormone progesterone that sustains the pregnancy, and misoprostol causes contractions to expel the contents of the uterus. You can use these pills in combination or use misoprostol alone.

Abortion pills are extremely safe. Serious adverse events occur in less than one-third of one percent of medication abortions. Abortion pills are over 95 percent effective when used within 10 weeks of the first day of your last menstrual period.

The organization Plan C has a comprehensive guide to finding abortion pills on their website at www.plancpills.org. Select “Find Abortion Pills” and then select the state where you are located from the drop-down menu. The website is continually updated and has all the latest information on where to find abortion pills from anywhere in the U.S.

No, It’s Not True that People in Abortion Ban States Have ‘No Options’

Too often, we hear stories of people unable to obtain the abortions they desperately want and need—like Ashley, a 13-year-old rape survivor in Clarksdale, Miss., who was forced to continue her pregnancy due to financial constraints.

Resources like the National Abortion Hotline and other abortion funds could have helped Ashley and her mother understand their options, plan their travel and even cover the costs of gas, food and a place to stay during the trip. But Ashley’s doctor isn’t to blame for the incorrect and insufficient information given to Ashley and her mother—anti-abortion lawmakers and extremists are.

Need a Safe, Private Abortion? Ask Charley.

On Tuesday, Sept. 12, reproductive health experts launched a new online chatbot named Charley to help abortion seekers in all 50 states find quick, accurate and confidential abortion information, tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.

Charley only asks for a user’s zip code and date of their last period to determine how far along they are in their pregnancy. Charley also makes referrals to medical and legal support services, as well as community support networks. Co-founded by former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards and the former head of Planned Parenthood’s digital department Tom Subak, Charley launched in partnership with INeedAnA.com, Plan C and the Miscarriage + Abortion (M+A) Hotline.

“There’s a lot of fear and confusion out there about how abortion is available, especially in restricted states, and there are different resources out there. But there hasn’t been a single resource that includes all the information. Charley does that,” said Elisa Wells, co-director of Plan C. “Charley walks people through their options and then directs them to the resources that are available to help them find more specific information.”

Abortion Snitching Is Already Sending People to Jail

Last month, Celeste Burgess was sentenced to 90 days in prison because she took abortion pills when she was 17 years old. The story of Celeste and her mother—who helped her get the pills and will be sentenced in September—went national.

This case was seen as a harbinger of intimate privacy violations to come. But this case also exemplifies a disturbing phenomenon in the genesis of abortion prosecutions: friends and community members reporting on each other.

A Trump-Stacked Court Hopes to Limit Access to the Abortion Pill. The Final Decision Now Lies With SCOTUS.

On Aug. 16, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals released a decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA that dismissed a challenge to the FDA’s 2000 approval of mifepristone but would sharply restrict access to medication abortion nationwide and eliminate telemedicine abortion. The decision remains on hold until final review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Fifth Circuit decision has no impact on access to misoprostol, which is a safe and effective alternative way to end a pregnancy.

“We are outraged that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals wants to reinstate medically unnecessary restrictions on access to mifepristone, a safe and effective medication used in medication abortion care,” said Lupe M. Rodriguez, executive director of National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. “This decision is wrong and if it goes into effect, puts politics and lies about mifepristone over the health and well-being of people who need abortion care.”

Keeping Score: California Funds College for Foster Youth; Katie Ledecky Surpasses Michael Phelps in World Titles; Anti-Abortion Leader Arrested for Child Sex Abuse

In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in this biweekly roundup.

This week: Sen. Tuberville blocks 250 military promotions (and counting) in protest of a DOD policy to help service members who travel for reproductive care; Freedom to Vote Act reintroduced in Congress; Texas governor bans public drag performances; Taylor Swift has most No. 1 albums of any woman artist; California budget agreement will fund public college tuition and expenses for foster youth in the state; Barbie opening weekend brings in more at box office than any other woman-directed film; Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky surpasses Michael Phelps in individual world golds; rest in power: Sinéad O’Connor, New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, Katie Early and Cheri Pies; and more.

U.S. Clinicians Can Now Mail Abortion Pills to States Banning Abortion, Thanks to Shield Laws in Five States

Telemedicine abortion provider shield laws have led to significantly quicker shipping times for people living in restrictive states—from several weeks to several days—which is critical for this time-sensitive medical care.

Between mid-June and mid-July, seven Aid Access clinicians located across these five states mailed pills to 3,500 people located in states banning abortion. “It shows what people want,” said Julie F. Kaye, co-founder of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine Access

Our Abortion Stories: ‘Her Choice Was the Right One, but Lack of Access Killed Her’

Last summer, the Supreme Court overturned the longstanding precedents of Roe v. Wade, representing the largest blow to women’s constitutional rights in history. A series from Ms., Our Abortion Stories chronicles readers’ experiences of abortion pre- and post-Roe. Abortions are sought by a wide range of people for many different reasons. There is no single story. (Share your abortion story by emailing myabortionstory@msmagazine.com.)

“Throughout the years, my aunt kept digging for any bit of information about her mother. It turns out that the kidney infection she developed was worsened by the pregnancy no one knew about. And the illegal, ‘back alley’ abortion she received may be what ultimately killed her.”

“It was definitely not the correct choice for my body, and as a couple, we just weren’t ready.”