European doctor defies FDA orders to stop sending US women abortion pills by mail

European doctor defies FDA orders to stop sending US women abortion pills by mail

By Jessica Ravitz, CNN
Thu May 23, 2019

(CNN)A European doctor who provides abortion pills by mail to the United States is defying an order from the US Food and Drug Administration to stop.

"It is very important to continue ... because it is the only safe abortion alternative for some of the most vulnerable people," Dr. Rebecca Gomperts said in an emailed statement. "As a physician, I have the obligation to provide medical care to people in need."

Continued: https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/23/health/abortion-pills-fda-aid-access-defiance/index.html

Revealed: 21,000 US women order abortion pills online in past six months

Revealed: 21,000 US women order abortion pills online in past six months
Three-quarters of mail order requests came from states with strict anti-abortion laws

Hannah Devlin Science correspondent
Wed 22 May 2019

Thousands of American women have obtained abortion pills online in the past six months, according to figures that highlight the escalating difficulty in accessing safe abortions on the ground.

Data shared with the Guardian reveals that 21,000 women requested abortion medication between October 2018 and March this year from the charity Aid Access. Between a third and a half of the women who made the requests were then sent abortion pills in the mail. The majority of the recipients live in states with hostile abortion policies.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/22/revealed-21000-us-women-order-abortion-pills-in-six-months

USA – Medical Abortions Have Changed Abortion Access — And They’re Available on the Internet

Medical Abortions Have Changed Abortion Access — And They’re Available on the Internet

April 23, 2019
by Catherine Trautwein

When Tami, a mother of three in her early 30s, found out she was pregnant, she began researching her options for an abortion. She discovered that there were only three remaining clinics in Louisiana, and the closest was hours from her home. And under state laws, Tami would need to make multiple trips: she would have to first receive an ultrasound and undergo counseling, then wait 24 hours before the actual procedure.

“I know what I want,” she said. “But the laws in the state make it so hard.” Instead, she turned to the internet.

Continued: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/self-managed-induced-medication-abortion/

USA – The Complicated Reality of Buying Abortion Pills Online

The Complicated Reality of Buying Abortion Pills Online
An abortion provider delves into the safety, efficacy, and legality.

April 8, 2019
By Jennifer Conti, M.D., M.S.

Given the many obstacles facing reproductive rights in our current political climate, we as physicians are seeing some people take abortion into their own hands. No, I’m not talking about coat-hanger abortions or any of the other infamous and tragic methods that people in the past (and, sadly, even some in the present) have explored.

Specifically, I’m talking about those who are self-managing medication abortions, meaning that they’re getting and taking abortion medications without going through a health-care provider at all.

Continued: https://www.self.com/story/buying-abortion-pills-online

South Korea – Debate on abortion ban intensifies as decision looms

Debate on abortion ban intensifies as decision looms

by Ock Hyun-ju
Published : Mar 31, 2019

When Hong Seung-hee, 28, discovered she was pregnant, she felt her world was falling apart.

She decided to terminate the unwanted pregnancy, even though it meant she would have to live as a criminal.

Going through an abortion was painful enough, but the stigma was worse, she said.

Continued: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190331000068

USA – Online abortion pill provider ordered to cease delivery by FDA

Online abortion pill provider ordered to cease delivery by FDA

By Jessica Ravitz, CNN
Fri March 15, 2019

(CNN)A European organization that provides doctor-prescribed abortion pills by mail is under order by the US Food and Drug Administration to stop deliveries.
The federal agency sent a warning letter to Aid Access this month requesting that it "immediately cease causing the introduction of these violative drugs into U.S. Commerce."

"The sale of misbranded and unapproved new drugs poses an inherent risk to consumers who purchase those products," the letter says. "Drugs that have circumvented regulatory safeguards may be contaminated; counterfeit, contain varying amounts of active ingredients, or contain different ingredients altogether."

Continued: https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/15/health/fda-aid-access-abortion-pill-warning/index.html

Is the future of abortion online?

Is the future of abortion online?

January 27, 2019
Hazal Atay

While the abortion debate continues worldwide, even in countries where it has long been legal, new drugs and online telemedicine services could provide access to safe abortion beyond borders and laws.

Since the early days of the birth-control movement, scientific research and development have contributed significantly to increase the range of options available for managing human fertility and giving women autonomy over their own bodies. One of the most remarkable changes in recent years is medical abortion, a non-surgical method for terminating pregnancies. It involves the use of prescription drugs such as Misoprostol and Mifepristone (also known as RU-486), which was developed in France and approved for use in 1989.

Continued: https://theconversation.com/is-the-future-of-abortion-online-110339

USA – Everything You Need To Know About Self-Managed Abortion

Everything You Need To Know About Self-Managed Abortion

Meera Shah
Nov 28, 2018

The coat hanger is a symbol of an era before Roe vs. Wade, when abortion was illegal and people tried managing it with the only means they knew: a straightened coat hanger used to dangerously induce a termination that would often result in hemorrhage, and sometimes death. While outdated, the symbol of the coat hanger is a persistent reminder that when abortion is illegal or out of reach, people will find other means to terminate their pregnancies. Today people have safer means of self-managing abortion.

Roe vs. Wade legalized abortion in all 50 states in the United States in 1973, but it didn’t give everyone an unfettered right to access it, either without burden or significant obstacles

Continued: https://jezebel.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-self-managed-abortion-1830471836

Abortion restrictions prompt international activists to provide care in America

Abortion restrictions prompt international activists to provide care in America

By Andrew Keiper | Fox News
Oct 25, 2018

Across the nation, women’s access to reproductive care has been protested, shuttered, legislated and sometimes strictly limited. So much so that an international organization has stepped in to provide abortion consultations and medications to women who face high barriers to care.

AidAccess was recently founded by Dutch doctor Rebecca Gomperts to provide American women with access to abortion medication. The contentious program operates online, and offers women consultations and mail-delivered abortion medication.

Continued: https://www.foxnews.com/health/abortion-restrictions-prompt-international-activists-to-provide-care-in-america

Women in the U.S. Can Now Get Safe Abortions by Mail

Women in the U.S. Can Now Get Safe Abortions by Mail
The founder of a global abortion-pill provider that has never shipped to the U.S. has quietly started a new service for Americans.

Olga Khazan
Oct 18, 2018

For years, an organization called Women on Web has given women a way to perform their own medication-induced abortions at home. The organization would remotely do online consultations, fill prescriptions, and ship pills that trigger miscarriages to women who live in countries where abortion is illegal. Several studies have shown that the service is safe.

Continued: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/10/women-on-web-safe-abortion-mail/573322/