The abortion pill was highly controversial when it entered the market in 2000. Years later, we know much more about how dangerous chemical abortions are, yet the abortion industry continues to push for increased “access.” A recent study showed that 20% of all chemical abortions in the nation occur in California. The pill is used to end an unborn life up to 10 weeks old nearly 70,000 times annually.
The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) produced this data through a clinical trial called the CHAT Study, which stands for California Home Abortion by Telehealth. CHAT aims to increase the amount of chemical abortions in the state even more. “CHAT is the first study of its kind in the U.S. that will evaluate abortion medication by mail without the need for a doctor’s visit or ultrasound,” reads a fundraising page for the study.
Further, in December of last year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) loosened certain safety standards for the abortion pill by removing the in-person requirement and allowing the drug to be shipped by mail permanently.
This means that more healthcare providers will offer the pill and more women will have quicker access to it, leaving little time or room for these women to consider alternative pro-life options. According to the FDA, the abortion pill has killed nearly five million babies since it was approved in 2000. With fewer restrictions, this number will only increase.
Easy access and at-home use also allows women to feel more removed from the procedure itself, trivializing the act of abortion and making it seem more socially acceptable. Regardless of how its performed, abortion ends an innocent life created by God every single time.
Not only does the pill end a life, it also endangers the mother. Studies show that chemical abortions have an even higher rate of complications than surgical abortion. “Chemical abortion leads to surging rates of emergency room utilization and life-threatening complications, including severe bleeding, infection and the need for surgery,” said director of life sciences at the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute Dr. Tara Sander Lee.
Moreover, between 2002 and 2015, chemical abortion-related ER visits increased by 507%. In 2015, over 60% of those ER patients were misdiagnosed and treated for miscarriages.
Chemical abortions simply harm everyone involved. Our federal agencies and regulators have failed women, and it is up to us to protect them. At a minimum, we must demand that more robust policies are put in place to regulate the drug and protect women.
Science clearly tells us that a fetus is a human life, and the rights of the mother are no greater than the rights of the unborn.
Unfortunately, radical leaders in California have vowed to make the state a sanctuary for abortion. This means we must work even harder to inform the public of the dangers of the abortion pill and the injustice of abortion. Lastly, we must pray for the transformation of hearts and minds throughout our state so that we may create a culture that values and protects women and their babies.
