President & CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health, Dr. Jamila Perritt, responds:
“As a physician and an abortion provider, I am outraged by Judge Kacsmaryk’s decision attempting to stay the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, one of the medications used in medication abortion care. While the immediate impact of the court’s decision is delayed for seven days to allow the Biden Administration to file an emergency appeal Judge Kacsmaryk’s intent is clear: to ban access to mifepristone entirely. Medication abortion care using mifepristone and misoprostol is a safe and effective method of ending pregnancy. This method has been supported by a large body of scientific and medical evidence since mifepristone was first approved by the FDA over twenty years ago. People have used mifepristone safely for many years with the support of medical providers, via telehealth, or by self-managing their medication abortion care in the environment of their choosing. Access to this type of abortion care is essential.
“Access to abortion care has been compromised for many people for a long time. State level abortion bans and restrictions that went into effect before and after the Dobbs decision mean that people are already not getting the abortion care they need. There are geographic swaths of the country that are without legal access to abortion care – not just states, but entire regions.
“The decision attempting to stay the approval of an FDA-approved medication that is safe and effective from the market two decades after its approval is politically based, not grounded in medicine or science. This would have far-reaching implications for access to other medications people rely on. We should all be alarmed.
“Should Judge Kacsmaryk have his way and mifepristone is removed from the market entirely, it will have many consequences for the provision of abortion care and for the lives of those that need it. Many people will be forced to carry pregnancies to term – whether they want to or not. This is particularly harmful given the clear evidence showing that when an individual is denied an abortion that they seek, their mental health, emotional health and financial health all suffer. Moreover, the health and wellbeing of the children that individuals already have is negatively impacted. These consequences will impact generations to come.
“This is part of a larger strategy to ban all abortions. That has always been their goal. It has never been about keeping abortion safe or making people safer; abortion is already safe. The ultimate goal is to strip us of our bodily autonomy and human rights while simultaneously criminalizing and punishing the people who attempt to control their bodies and the providers who attempt to give the care their communities need.
“Despite these obstacles and setbacks, I know that our communities are resilient and determined. We are going to continue to show up for each other – patients, providers, and advocates alike. We will persist and work to ensure we get and provide the care our communities need.
“The nearly 500 physician advocates that are part of PRH’s community of Fellows will continue to provide compassionate, evidence-based abortion care to the communities they serve. We will not stop this work. We will not stop providing care.”
