How much is it used?

More than half of abortions (53%) in the United States in 2020 were medical, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

This is less than in some European countries, such as France, where this method has been allowed since 1988 and where medical abortions accounted for about 70% of abortions in 2020.

How does the abortion pill work?

The abortion pill is different from the "morning-after pill". While the morning-after pill is taken after a risky intercourse to avoid getting pregnant, the abortion pill is taken once a pregnancy is confirmed, with the aim of having an abortion.

The method authorized in the United States, as in many countries, actually uses two drugs. The first is mifepristone (or RU 486), which stops the development of pregnancy by acting on a hormone called progesterone. The second, misoprostol, is taken between one and two days later, and triggers contractions and bleeding.

At the time of abortion, women are at home or in the place of their choice, not in a health facility.

What effectiveness and what risks?

Abortions using mifepristone and misoprostol within the time allowed are very safe and effective, all experts insist.

Pregnancies are effectively stopped in more than 95% of cases, studies have shown.

Complications (excessive blood flow, fever, infection, allergic reaction) requiring consultation are rare.

Important point: the pills do not work in case of ectopic pregnancy (outside the uterus, 2% of pregnancies). An ectopic pregnancy can be detected by ultrasound and must be treated, since it poses a fatal risk to the affected woman.

What framework in the United States?

In the United States, the method using mifepristone and misoprostol has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2000.

It was initially up to seven weeks of pregnancy, which was extended to 10 weeks after the last menstrual period. Beyond that, women wishing to have an abortion must resort to an aspiration abortion.

Since last summer, however, a dozen US states have made abortion illegal, after a Supreme Court decision authorizing them to legislate themselves on the subject. In these states, medical abortions are therefore also prohibited.

But anti-abortion groups are seeking to suspend FDA approval of mifepristone across the country, including states where abortion has remained legal. This legal battle is currently ongoing.

© 2023 AFP