(ZENIT News / Washington, 05.14.2025).- A sweeping new study has cast a stark light on the safety of chemical abortions in the United States, revealing that more than 1 in 10 women who take the abortion drug mifepristone experience serious medical complications—raising renewed questions about the trajectory of abortion access and oversight in the country.
The study, which examined health insurance data from more than 865,000 patients between 2017 and 2023, represents the most comprehensive real-world analysis of mifepristone’s impact to date. It found that nearly 11% of women suffered at least one significant adverse health event within 45 days of taking the drug. These events ranged from hemorrhaging and sepsis to emergency surgeries and hospitalization.
“This isn’t theory. It’s evidence drawn from the largest dataset available,” said Ryan T. Anderson, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), which published the study on April 28. “We’ve been told for years that this is a safe and simple process. But these numbers tell a different story.”
The findings disrupt a long-standing narrative that chemical abortion is largely risk-free. Previous clinical trials—conducted in highly controlled settings—suggested adverse event rates below 1%. But in practice, where medications are increasingly accessed without medical supervision, the risks appear far more pronounced.
Among the most striking revelations: over 4.7% of women sought emergency care, 3.3% experienced significant bleeding, and 1.3% developed infections. Nearly 2,000 women endured potentially life-threatening complications. In nearly 3% of cases, the abortion failed and required surgical completion. Some thousands unknowingly had ectopic pregnancies, which went undiagnosed.
EPPC researchers argue that these outcomes are the direct result of a policy shift. Over the last decade, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has gradually dismantled key safety protocols. In 2016, the Obama administration loosened restrictions, extending the allowable gestational age and cutting the required in-person medical visits. The Biden administration went further in 2023, allowing abortion pills to be mailed to patients, effectively eliminating all in-person evaluations.
“This deregulation has normalized a process where women are alone, unmonitored, and unprepared for what might happen,” said co-author Jamie Bryan Hall, EPPC’s director of data analytics. “They’re being told this is no different than taking Tylenol. That’s dangerously misleading.”
These concerns are echoed by physicians on the frontlines. Dr. Christina Francis, an OB-GYN and CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, described the study as a mirror of her clinical reality. She recounted treating patients who, after ordering pills online, experienced abortions later in pregnancy than expected—with deeply traumatic consequences.
“One woman took the pill at home, thinking she was nine weeks along. It turned out she was further along. She ended up in surgery,” Francis said. “Another patient saw her baby expelled and fully formed in her hand. It was a devastating experience.”
The trauma isn’t limited to physical complications. A British study from late 2024 found that nearly half of women undergoing chemical abortions reported more pain than anticipated, with many describing their consultations as dismissive or euphemistic.
Father Tad Pacholczyk of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, a respected voice in medical ethics, warned against treating abortion pills as routine healthcare. “These drugs are not part of healing medicine. They destroy life and carry significant risks for the women who use them,” he said.
Pacholczyk emphasized the moral and clinical need for reform. “We need more accountability from those distributing these drugs. Women deserve accurate information, not ideology.”
In light of the findings, EPPC is calling on the current Trump administration to restore the safety measures removed over the past two presidencies. Their proposal includes reinstating mandatory in-person doctor visits, confirming early gestational age, prohibiting mail-order abortion pills, and requiring reporting of adverse outcomes.
While Donald Trump has said he won’t seek to ban mifepristone outright, his administration has left the door open to tightening regulations. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has already pledged to investigate the drug’s safety profile.
For Anderson and Hall, this is a nonpartisan issue. “Even those who support abortion rights should want women to make informed decisions with full knowledge of the risks,” they said. “The current system fails that basic standard.”
The study may prove to be a turning point in the national conversation on abortion—where the emphasis is no longer only on access, but increasingly on transparency, safety, and the lived experience of women who, behind closed doors, are navigating abortion in isolation.
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