The following statement can be attributed to Cynthia A. Pearson, Executive Director of the National Women’s Health Network.

Contact: Evita Almassi, ealmassi@nwhn.org  or 425-749-1886

Washington D.C.— Late last night, the FDA announced that, effective immediately, both medication abortion and miscarriage patients would be able to access mifepristone via delivery from their providers or through mail-order pharmacies. This tremendous victory will ensure that patients and providers are protected during the pandemic. 

While individual states may still impose restrictions, the FDA will no longer require patients to travel far from home or risk exposure to COVID-19 just to access safe and effective abortion care. 

The FDA’s decision also made clear what we’ve known for years: mifepristone is a very safe, very effective option that should not be subject to politically motivated, medically unnecessary restrictions designed to limit access.

“We must now fight to make this change permanent, and to lift all medically unnecessary restrictions on medication abortion during the pandemic and beyond,” stated Cynthia A. Pearson, the NWHN’s Executive Director. “The FDA’s decision to restrict access to mifepristone was never based in science. We called on the FDA to remove these restrictions when it approved mifepristone in 2000. It has taken far too long, but we’re delighted that the FDA is finally moving in the right direction.”

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