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Abortion. Just saying the word breathes heaviness. Even though there were 609,360 abortions across 48 reporting areas in 2022, that doesn’t make it a simple procedure. I have a few girlfriends who had abortions when they were young. From my experience, none of them confided in me without a heavy heart. That doesn’t mean they regret doing it or believe they made a mistake. I trust the majority of them still believe it was the only thing they could have done, given the circumstances. Still, doing what you think is right is not always easy. While the majority of Americans (63%) say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, there’s still 36% of those who think it should be illegal in all or most cases, according to data from Pew Research Center. The exact number of abortions is difficult to obtain, largely due to the high number of medication abortions and self-managed abortions outside of formal health care systems. Organizations are relying on a combination of data collection to estimate these numbers, including facility-based abortions and surveying patients. In 2023, there were around 642,700 medication abortions in the United States, accounting for 63% of all abortions in the formal health care system, according to data from Guttmacher Institute, a research group focusing on sexual and reproductive health. This represents an increase from 2020, when medication abortions accounted for 53% of all abortions. FDA quietly approves a controversial generic abortion drug Medication abortion has been accessible in the U.S. over the last 25 years. In 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of mifepristone for abortion in a two-drug regimen with misoprostol, writes Guttmacher. Mifepristone is currently approved through 10 weeks’ gestational duration. On September 30, the FDA quietly approved Evita Solution’s generic form of mifepristone. This is the second generic version to enter the market, as the first, from the pharmaceutical company GenBioPro, was approved in 2019. Mifepristone dilates the cervix and blocks the hormone progesterone needed to preserve the pregnancy, while misoprostol causes the uterus to cramp and contract. The FDA usually issues a press release after a new or significant drug approval, but it hasn’t done so for Evita Solution’s generic form of mifepristone. The reasons for the lack of announcement were not disclosed. It could be that the FDA didn’t consider this approval significant because another generic form of the drug was already approved in 2019. However, it is worth noting that the agency typically approves such an application within 10 months, but Evita Solutions filed its application four years ago. This suggests that the approval took a significant amount of time, indicating its importance. “Medical abortion care is rife with medically unnecessary restrictions and social stigma in the United States. As a result, many people who choose to end a pregnancy may struggle to get the necessary care they need,” reads Evita’s official website. The company believes that “all people should have “access to safe, affordable, high-quality, effective, and compassionate healthcare, including abortion care. We know that you can make the best choice for your body.” Abortion laws differ across United States In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court made a landmark decision on abortion. By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protected the right to have an abortion before the point of fetal viability. Quickly after, states began passing their own laws to restrict or protect abortion access. Abortion laws vary from state to state: 12 states have a total abortion ban: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia 29 states have abortion bans based on gestational duration: 7 states ban abortion at or before 18 weeks’ gestation. 22 states ban abortion at some point after 18 weeks. 9 states and the District of Columbia do not restrict abortion based on gestational duration: Alaska, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont Source: Guttmacher Controversy around FDA approval of generic mifepristone The approval of a generic form of the medication mifepristone came less than two weeks after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked the FDA to review the drug’s safety, writes NBC News. Republicans and anti-abortion advocates have been urging the Trump administration to change the FDA’s rules around mifepristone, writes ABC News. Republicans and Kennedy cited a study conducted by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank, that was neither peer-reviewed nor published in a scientific journal. The study revealed that 11% of women experienced a “serious adverse event,” which is significantly more than the 0.5% rate found in clinical studies and listed by the FDA on the drug’s label. For years, writes ABC News, anti-abortion activists urged the FDA to reverse the approval of the first generic drug for mifepristone and roll back two rule changes that increased patient access: 1) allowing the drug to be used up to 10 weeks — instead of seven weeks — gestation, and 2) allowing mifepristone to be dispensed via telehealth care. More Health Care: How AI Could Monitor Brain Health and Find Dementia Soone Health insurers make a major move older Americans won’t like How the government shutdown affects Social Security, Medicare More recently, Liberty Counsel Action (LCA) called on the agency to revoke the approval of Evita Solution’s generic form of mifepristone, citing LCA’s June 2025 special report, Abortion in our Water. The report analyzes the environmental impact of the abortion pill mifepristone and human fetal remains. “According to the report, the drug not only adversely effects one in 10 women with severe side effects, but the estimated 700,000 chemical abortions that occur every year also contribute to 30-40 tons of hazardous medical waste, including human remains, being flushed into the nation’s water systems,” reads LCA’s press release. Mifepristone among “most thoroughly studied and widely used medications in the country” According to a 2015 systematic review from the University of California, Davis, mifepristone is safe and effective when used as directed by the FDA. Brittany Fonteno, CEO of the National Abortion Federation, the professional association of abortion providers, said the FDA’s approval of Evita Solution’s generic form of mifepristone “underscores what research has shown for decades: Medication abortion is safe, effective, and essential health care, used by millions with proven efficacy.” Kiki Freedman, co-founder and CEO of Hey Jane, one of the biggest telemedicine abortion providers in the country, told ABC News that the new HHS review could “undermine access to one of the most thoroughly studied and widely used medications in the country.” “HHS Secretary RFK Jr and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary’s threat to conduct their own ‘review’ of mifepristone underscores the disturbing rise of junk science and politically motivated attacks in shaping public health policy,” Freedman said.
