Access to reproductive care has been under fire in America since June 2022, then The Supreme Court revoked Roe v. WadeThe landmark decision that guaranteed the federal right to abortion. Since then, access to abortion has raged for American women, with 12 states introduce total abortion ban. Mifepristone, a drug commonly used in medicines (including Medicine abort), is also under attack, with abortion opponents trying to limit its use even more.
If you are a woman, or honestly just a decent person living in America, you are probably well aware of all this. But new research Suggest that a pill used for acute contraceptives can help women to have an abortion, which broadens the availability of women across the country. Although this sounds good in theory, has acute contraceptives also been the target of abortion opponents – and these finds can make things even more messy, and potentially limit even more reproductive care for women along the way. Let’s unpack the turbidity.
Experts presented in this article:
Lauren StreicherMD, is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology.
Jennifer WiderMD, is an expert on women’s health and writers.
The research
The study, which was published in Nom recordsreports on an early phase study of 133 women who were up to nine weeks during their pregnancy and took Ulibristalacetate, a drug used for acute contraceptives and is sold under the Ella brand.
The researchers found that when a dose of 60 milligrams Ulibrristalacetate (which is twice as large as the usual dose) was taken with a single dose of misoprostol, it was 97 percent effective to cause abortion up to 63 days of pregnancy. Misoprosol is a drug that is often used in a medical abortion, usually in combination with mifepristone. But it is also used to prevent wounds in people who take certain medications, according to US National Library of Medicine.
“Although the study is small and lacks a simultaneous comparison group, the results indicate that this regime can be effective for medicine abort, and more research is justified,” the researchers concluded.
The warning
It is very important to point out that the study did not Discover that only acute contraceptives will cause abortion. “It doesn’t work. It won’t disturb an established pregnancy,” says Lauren Streicher, MD, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Hra Pharma America, the company that manufactures Ella, also clearly says about its Website that the medicine will not interrupt an existing pregnancy. However, it can be taken up to five days after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy.
Ella works to delay ovulation so that there is no egg to hit the sperm after having unprotected sex, explains the company online. Sperm can live in the fallopian tubes for up to five days after sex, and this delay helps prevent pregnancy by preventing sperm and eggs from meeting.
There has been much confusion in the public about how acute contraceptives work in general, with some who claim that the medicine will interrupt an early pregnancy. With the latest finds, there is concern that they could be misinterpreted as suggesting that only acute contraceptives can be used to have an abortion.
The truth is that only misoprostol is “very effective” to cause abortion, says Kelly Cleland, CEO of American Society for Emergency Contraception (Asec). This means that the additive of uli -pristalacetate (aka medicine used for acute contraceptives) is not needed. Cleland says the latest finds can confuse people to believe that only acute contraceptives will cause abortions and potentially limit access in the future.
“In the United States, we are in an instant where access to reproductive healthcare is under constant fire. So it is more important than ever to ensure that access to emergency contraceptives is completely protected,” she says.
When it comes to the future, Cleland says it is “not really clear” what this means for access to abortion and emergency contraceptives in the future. “This study did not include a comparison group, so it is not possible to say if it is better to add Ulibristala acetate to misoprosol than to use only misoprosol for medicine abortions,” she says. “As an organization, ASEC embraces new alternatives for reproductive health care, including contraceptives and abortion. (Men) This study is simply not enough to change medical practice or recommendations on abortion.”
Streicher, on the other hand, calls the study’s results “dangerous”. Her main concern: “Those who are anti-reproductive rights will (try) now limit access to emergency contraceptives, which will mean that we will need more abortions. They will say that this is an abortion-inducing when it is not . “
The upside
The study’s results are still “very encouraging” for people with limited access to abortion care, says Jennifer Wider, MD. “Although the study is small and lacks a comparison group, it has the promising potential for another treatment for medical abortion.”
That said, the study “does not change anything we know about emergency contraceptives”, Cleland emphasizes. “Ella is the most effective distress pill found in the United States, and people need access to it without hindrance-especially in places where abortion is prohibited.”
Fortunately, you can still find emergency contraceptives at most large pharmacies – and access to it has not changed. But if you are particularly concerned about future access, it doesn’t hurt pick up a package or two Next time you are in the store for just-in-case.
Corin Miller is a writer who specializes in general well -being, health and lifestyle trends. Her work has emerged in Women’s Health, Self, Health, Forbes and more.
