The Planned app cannot screen for conditions like ectopic pregnancies, determine the gestational age of the fetus or verify if the user is really pregnant. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has flagged these drugs for serious complications including deadly infections and extreme bleeding. The label says about one in 25 women using these end up in the emergency room, emphasizing that emergency care should be available.

Formerly, FDA rules called for doctors to provide continuous care within person visits to monitor serious complications, but this requirement has been lifted, allowing providers to prescribe these drugs without meeting patients. This leaves women managing their chemical abortions alone.

The Role of FDA and Its Effects

The existing FDA mail order abortion drug policy permits providers to prescribe high-risk drugs without consulting with patients beforehand which sets a risky precedent that encourages apps like Planned Parenthood’s app-based service which further erodes safety measures.

As per FDA guidelines prescribers must rule out ectopic pregnancy before administering abortion drugs which is impossible without an in person visit. Acknowledging this critical need even proabortion American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists believe an ultrasound is necessary to identify ectopic pregnancy which constitutes 12% of all pregnancies as per Planned Parenthood’s website.

Risks Associated with Force and Abuse

The usage of an app to provide abortion drugs intensifies the threat of force and abuse. Given that face-to-face dispensing rules have been scrapped, it is impossible to confirm if a woman trying to access telehealth consultation is being forced into it or not. The absence of personal interaction makes it easy for anyone to obtain abortion drugs via the app.

Latest Studies Exhibit Dangers

A new study discovered approximately one in 30 women who underwent an in-person ultrasound or checkup before taking mailed abortion drugs sought emergency room services. Statistics from studies without in person visits show even scarier numbers with a 330% increase in hospitalizations for mail order abortion drugs leading to more emergency room and urgent care visits following the FDA’s decision to eliminate face-to-face visits.

The Role of Supreme Court

Planned Parenthood’s new app-based service comes at a time when there is an ongoing decisive legal battle. The U.S Supreme Court is considering whether FDA should be held responsible for dropping critical safety norms for abortion drugs which has compromised women’s health nationwide according to Alliance Defending Freedom and its medical clients who are pushing that these protection standards be reinstated.

New York Attorney General Letitia James Sues Pregnancy Resource Centers Over Abortion Pill Reversal

In another development New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing pregnancy resource centers over promoting abortion pill reversal (APR) alleging they deceive women. Whereas studies reveal administering progesterone after taking the first pill can indeed reverse the procedure effectively.

The Significance of Abortion Pill Reversal Information

Chemical abortions being practiced by using two pills are becoming prevalent in America with estimates ranging from 63%- 80%. Valuable information about APR can prove crucial as studies show successful continuation of pregnancies after undergoing APR following intake of the first pill. This highlights the importance of the preserving access to APR data.

Fighting Misinformation

Attorney General James argues that women alone should make “reproductive healthcare decisions” but by trying to ban APR information, she contradicts this principle. Limiting access to APR data deprives women of complete knowledge and informed choices about their pregnancies.

Figures from the Abortion Pill Rescue Network indicate over 5,000 successful abortion pill reversals showing real life examples of women who felt empowered enough to reconsider their initial decisions. Advocating the right to access APR information is not about promoting one choice over another but allowing women powerful knowledge driven decision making.

The recent events surrounding Planned Parenthood’s app and New York Attorney General Letitia James’s actions emphasizes the vital need for full information and safety measures regarding abortion care. Women deserve accurate info and safe medical practices for making reproductive health decisions by prioritizing health and safety.