"We've known for years that mifepristone is risky, but it's really just in the last few years that we've learned this drug is inherently dangerous and it's inherently prone to abuse. Hawley bases his opinion about the death pill on a 2025 study conducted by conservative think tank, the Ethics and Public Policy Center, which found that 11% of people taking the drug suffered serious adverse effects."
"Other than this isolated piece of research, however, the drug has been found to be incredibly safe - safer than other popular drugs, among them penicillin and Viagra. It has a success rate of up to 98 percent for pregnancies up to eight weeks and is 14 times safer than childbirth. It was initially approved by the FDA in 2000 and was approved to be prescribed via telehealth in 2020."
"Closer inspection has found that the study hid some of its data, was not peer-reviewed, and has a very vague and broad definition of what a serious adverse effect is. The report, which was funded by the right, found that 11% of people taking the drug suffered serious adverse effects."
Conservative efforts to restrict reproductive rights have intensified with Senator Josh Hawley's proposed bill to ban mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medical abortions. Hawley's argument relies on a 2025 study from the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center claiming 11% of users experienced serious adverse effects. However, this study lacks peer review, contains hidden data, and uses vague definitions. In contrast, extensive research demonstrates mifepristone is exceptionally safe—safer than penicillin and Viagra, with a 98% success rate for pregnancies up to eight weeks and being 14 times safer than childbirth. The drug received FDA approval in 2000 and telehealth approval in 2020. Despite Republican victories like overturning Roe v. Wade, efforts to ban abortion medications face significant obstacles due to majority American support for reproductive choice.
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