A recent study published in Nature Medicine has provided further support for the FDA’s assessment that abortion pills prescribed via telehealth are safe and effective. The study, which examined electronic medical records for over 6,000 patients and conducted an opt-in survey of 1,600 patients, found that the medication was effective in ending pregnancy without additional follow-up care for 97.7% of patients. Furthermore, 99.7% of abortions did not result in serious adverse events.
Patients involved in the study consulted with a healthcare provider through video or secure chat platforms and received the abortion pills via mail-order pharmacy. Interestingly, the study found that the safety and efficacy of the medication were similar regardless of whether patients utilized video or secure chat consultations, highlighting the potential of telehealth in providing accessible reproductive healthcare.
Ushma Upadhyay, the author of the study, emphasized that the results aligned with over 100 previous studies affirming the safety and effectiveness of mifepristone, the medication used in medication abortions. Rishi Desai of Harvard Medical School, an expert in medication safety not involved in the study, commended its well-conducted nature and noted that the findings were consistent with previous research.
However, the safety of mifepristone and the appropriateness of FDA regulations governing its use have come under legal scrutiny. A lawsuit argues that mifepristone is not safe and was improperly approved in 2000. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in the case on March 26, and the decision could have far-reaching implications on access to medication abortion nationwide and set a precedent on challenges to the FDA’s authority.
The timing of the study’s release coincides with the Supreme Court case, but according to Upadhyay, it is purely coincidental. Nevertheless, the study provides valuable insight into the safety and effectiveness of telehealth in providing reproductive healthcare and comes at a crucial time when reproductive rights are being debated in the legal arena.
As the Supreme Court prepares to weigh in on the matter, the findings of this study provide important evidence supporting the use of telehealth for medication abortions. With telehealth becoming an increasingly important avenue for healthcare access, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to ensure that reproductive healthcare remains safe, effective, and readily available to all who need it.
Prone to fits of apathy. Music specialist. Extreme food enthusiast. Amateur problem solver.