"New Study: Abortion Pill Causes Serious Complications in Over 10% of Cases"
Complications far exceed FDA estimates, study finds.
WASHINGTON – A new analysis of more than 865,000 abortions performed using the drug mifepristone between 2017 and 2023 found that over 10% of women experienced severe or life-threatening complications within 45 days of taking the medication, according to a report released by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC).
The EPPC study, which reviewed 865,727 cases — a sample size 28 times larger than all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clinical trials combined — found that 10.93% of women suffered serious adverse events, including sepsis, hemorrhage, the need for blood transfusions, infections, and abortion-related surgeries.
The findings stand in stark contrast to FDA-approved labeling for mifepristone, which cites a serious complication rate of less than 0.5% based on earlier clinical trials. According to the EPPC report, the real-world complication rate is 22 times higher than what the FDA has previously reported.
"Over one in ten women who took mifepristone experienced serious medical complications — a frequency that is not rare by any clinical standard," the EPPC stated in its report, titled The Abortion Pill Harms Women.
The data adds to the ongoing debate over the safety and regulation of chemical abortions, especially as mifepristone use has expanded rapidly across the United States in recent years. Supporters of broader access to the abortion pill argue that it offers a safe, non-invasive option, while critics point to studies like the EPPC’s as evidence that more stringent oversight is needed.
The FDA has not yet responded to the EPPC’s findings.