What is mifepristone? Are abortion pills legal in Florida?
As the battle over abortion rights rages across the states — Florida just rushed a six-week ban on nearly all abortions into law, which can't go into effect until the state Supreme Court rules on whether the previous 15-week ban is constitutional — another fight has begun over the abortion medication mifepristone.
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and removed the constitutional right to have an abortion, laws banning or sharply restricting abortion laws were swiftly passed across the country in Republican-led states. At the same time, interest in abortion pills and telemedicine abortion has skyrocketed and Google searches for "online abortion" surged as patients and providers try to understand the new and shifting laws, lawsuits and court rulings.
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Here's what you need to know about abortion pills in Florida.
What are abortion pills?
Mifepristone and misoprostol are drugs used together to end a pregnancy within 70 days (10 weeks) without the need for invasive surgery.
Abortion by pill is used in just over half of all terminated pregnancies in the U.S., according to the Guttmacher Institute.
What is mifepristone? How do abortion pills work?
The medication abortion process starts when a person takes the first pill, mifepristone. Mifepristone stops the “supply of hormones that maintains the interior of the uterus," according to the Mayo Clinic.
Between 24 and 48 hours after, the person takes misoprostol, which typically comes in four tablets. A patient may either put two in each cheek and let them dissolve, or the pills can be inserted into the vagina. Within a few hours, the misoprostol will cause a person’s cervix to dilate and their uterus to contract, emptying the embryo from the person’s uterus.
Misoprostol can and often is used by itself for abortions, although there may be a greater chance of side effects.
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Is the abortion pill dangerous? Are abortion pills safe?
The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000 and over 100 studies over the last 30 years have shown it to be safe, according to Holly Fernandez Lynch, an assistant professor of medical ethics and law at the University of Pennsylvania. When used within the first 10 weeks, mifepristone and misoprostol safely terminated 99.6% of pregnancies with low rates of complications.
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What are the side effects of using abortion pills?
Symptoms can include cramping, bleeding, chills, nausea and vomiting. The most significant pain and bleeding will last no longer than one to two hours, and the process is completed within 24 hours, though some bleeding is normal for about two weeks, similar to early natural miscarriages.
As of June 30, 2022, there have been "28 reports of deaths in patients associated with mifepristone" since 2000, according to the FDA.
How do I get mifepristone and misoprostol?
By prescription only. It is sold under the brand name Korlym or Mifeprex, according to the Mayo Clinic.
In some states, only a telemedicine visit is required to get a prescription for mifepristone and misoprostol and in January the FDA ruled that abortion pills could be prescribed by physicians and picked up by patients at pharmacies.
Florida's law blocks that and also prevents anyone from ordering them online. The law states, "any medications intended to cause abortions must be dispensed in person by a physician and may not be dispensed through the United States Postal Service or by any other courier or shipping service."
Are abortion pills legal in Florida?
So far, provided all other abortion restrictions are observed and the pills are prescribed and then administered by a physician, in person.
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Did a judge ban abortion pills?
It's complicated.
In April, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, nominated to the bench by former President Donald Trump, suspended the FDA's approval of mifepristone while a lawsuit challenging the safety and approval of the drug continues. He gave the government seven days to appeal. Minutes later, a federal judge in Washington, Obama appointee U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice, ordered the FDA not to make any changes that would restrict access to the drug in 17 states and D.C. that sued to expand access to mifepristone. A federal appeals court in Louisiana ruled that the 23-year-old approval FDA approval could continue but blocked the FDA moves in 2016 and 2021 that expanded access to the drug.
The Biden administration has asked the Supreme Court to step in. On Friday, the Supreme Court temporarily suspended the lower court's ruling to give time for the FDA to submit a written argument and to give time for the justices to review the arguments and decide the case.
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What does the ruling to pause FDA approval of mifepristone mean?
Kacsmaryk's ruling means healthcare providers could be barred from prescribing mifepristone, even in states where abortion is legal. In-clinic, procedural abortion care would not be affected by the ruling.
This change could affect medication abortion access for about 64.5 million women of reproductive age nationwide, according to an analysis released Feb. 10 by NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Clinics and doctors that prescribe the two-drug combination have said that if mifepristone were pulled from the market, they would switch to using only the second drug, misoprostol.
"This regimen is still incredibly safe and effective," Dr. Kristyn Brandi, a New Jersey family planning specialist and spokesperson for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told NPR. "Medication abortion and miscarriage management will not go away with the loss of mifepristone, but it may look a little different."
How much do abortion pills cost?
It varies from state to state and healthcare provider, and it depends on whether you can use health insurance. Typically abortion pills run about $500 on average, according to GoodRX Health. Telemedicine abortions are cheaper but those are banned in Florida's new abortion laws.
However, you'll also need to factor in the cost of the appointments and any other related medical costs.
Is the morning-after pill an abortion?
No. Morning-after pills such as Plan B, the Ella pill and others are safe and effective emergency contraception that you can take up to five days after unprotected sex to reduce the risk of pregnancy. Plan B and other levonorgestrel morning-after pills are available online or over the counter. Ella, a morning-after pill containing ulipristal acetate, requires a prescription.
These emergency contraceptives "won't have an impact on an existing pregnancy, they prevent a pregnancy from occurring," Dr. Meera Shah, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic in New York, told USA TODAY.
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How do you pronounce mifepristone?
The drug is pronounced mif-uh-pristone, with the last syllable pronounced like the rock: stone.
Contributors: Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Marina Pitofsky, Elizabeth Weise, Terry Collins, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
C. A. Bridges is a Digital Producer for the USA TODAY Network, working with multiple newsrooms across Florida. Local journalists work hard to keep you informed about the things you care about, and you can support them by subscribing to your local news organization. Read more articles by Chris here and follow him on Twitter at @cabridges
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Abortion pills in Florida: What is mifepristone and how do you get it?
