January 1, FDA Permanently Allows Abortion Pills By Mail [Video]

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided that Americans can permanently receive abortion pills by mail, lifting a restriction that required individuals to get the pills in person from a physician.

The move comes amid the likelihood that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade, a 1973 decision that made abortions legal in the U.S.

Abortion pills enable patients to undergo a medical abortion at their homes up through 10 weeks of pregnancy. Patients first take mifepristone, which stops the pregnancy from continuing, and then up to 48 hours later, they take misoprostol, which causes uterine contractions.

However, 19 states have already banned telemedicine visits for abortions. Five states, including Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana, have outright bans on using telemedicine for abortion pills, while the other 14 — which includes Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama — require patients to visit a physician in person. 

Planned Parenthood put out a statement on the FDA’s announcement, calling the decision a “victory for public health and equity.”

“We’ve seen very clearly in the past two years that the logistical hurdle of unnecessary travel to health centers during a dangerous pandemic only creates more barriers to care, especially for people of color and people with low incomes,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood. “Abortion is time-sensitive, essential health care, and this decision will remove a sometimes insurmountable barrier for patients seeking an abortion.”

“With abortion rights at risk like never before, the FDA’s decision is a long overdue step toward expanding people’s access to safe medication abortion.”

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FDA says abortion pills can be sent by mail