Mifepristone Ruling: Here Are The Unintended Health Consequences Of Attacks On Abortion Pills

The legality of abortion drug mifepristone is now in doubt after a conservative judge ruled Friday to block its federal approvals—which could have impacts beyond abortion, as mifepristone and other medications that can terminate a pregnancy can also be used for a range of other medical conditions, and those treatments may be affected by the court’s ruling and ongoing attacks on the drugs.

Medication abortion is traditionally a regimen involving two drugs: mifepristone, which terminates a pregnancy by blocking the hormone progesterone, and misoprostol, which induces contractions to expel the tissue, though medication abortion can also be performed using only misoprostol.

While mifepristone is primarily known as an abortion drug, it can also be used for miscarriages and early pregnancy loss, Kristyn Brandi, an OB/GYN and fellow at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, told Forbes, and has other gynecologic uses, like being used off-label as a treatment for uterine fibroids.