Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortion Providers Prepare For No Mifepristone
KQED: Medication Abortion Is Still Possible With Just 1 Drug. Here's How It Works
With the two-drug regimen, patients first take mifepristone — which blocks the hormone progesterone — to end the pregnancy. Patients then take misoprostol 24–48 hours later, which causes the uterus to expel the pregnancy tissue. Patients experience bleeding and cramping, and usually pass the pregnancy within four to six hours after taking the misoprostol. In a misoprostol-alone abortion (PDF), patients start the process with misoprostol, using the same amount as is used in the two-drug regimen. Three hours later, they take misoprostol again, causing the uterus to contract. They repeat this for three to four doses until the pregnancy passes, which usually takes between nine and 12 hours. (Gordon, 4/11)
CNN: Suspension Of Mifepristone Approval Wouldn’t Be The End Of Medication Abortion
When used for an abortion, misoprostol works to help empty the uterus through bleeding and muscle contractions. “It’s a little old-school, but we could do it,” said Dr. Kristyn Brandi, an ob/gyn and abortion provider in New Jersey and a spokesperson for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. It’s what people did before the FDA approved mifepristone in 2000, Brandi said. (Christensen, 4/11)
The 19th: Abortion Pill Ruling Leaves Providers Preparing For Care Without Mifepristone
Abortion providers across the country are preparing for the possibility of providing care without access to mifepristone, one of the two pills commonly used in medication abortion. In some cases, clinics said that they would stop administering medication abortions, the most common method of ending a pregnancy, entirely. (Luthra, 4/11)
In related news about misoprostol —
AP: New York Latest State To Stockpile Abortion-Inducing Pills
New York joined other Democratic-led states Tuesday in stockpiling abortion pills in response to a Texas court ruling that could limit access to the commonly used drug. At the governor’s direction, the state Department of Health will begin purchasing 150,000 doses of misoprostol, one of two commonly used abortion-inducing drugs, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced. (Khan, 4/11)
