JAMA Article Pushes for Over-the-Counter Abortion Pills

Taking abortion pills can lead to dangerous side effects, perhaps even death. Which is why the process of chemical abortion — called "medical" by pro-abortion advocates — is supposed to occur only under the guidance of a doctor. Indeed, post-Dobbs, women died because of improperly supervised chemical abortions, wrongly blamed by the media and pro-abortion advocates on pro-life laws.

But the medical establishment is so invested in unlimited abortion that JAMA Internal Medicine just published an advocacy article calling for the two drugs used in chemical abortions to be available over the counter:

A growing body of evidence indicates that mifepristone and misoprostol meet the FDA's criteria for OTC sale. The medications are not addictive, and the user determines on their own whether they have the condition needing treatment, in this case an unwanted pregnancy. The criteria that the FDA is likely to focus on are whether the user can appropriately self-select for use and whether they can use the product correctly over time, often referred to as actual use.

Regarding the former, research indicates that people can accurately self-assess their gestational duration and other eligibility criteria for medication abortion. In the event someone uses the regimen significantly past 10 weeks of pregnancy (for example, after 12 weeks' gestation), it is less likely to be effective, but it is unlikely to cause serious medical complications for the pregnant person. For the question about actual use, even with facility-based medication abortion, patients generally take the medications on their own at home, manage adverse events, and determine when they need follow-up care. [Citations omitted.]