September 13, 2019

Online Abortion Pill Seller Sues FDA After it Blocks Sales

The FDA intervened in the sale of dangerous abortion drugs over the internet and is facing a lawsuit as a result.

Rebecca Gomperts owns an online abortion pill business in Europe and was selling mifepristone and misoprostol to women who contacted her on the internet. The drug is used to complete early-stage medical abortions, but this online process did not include the approval of a physician. Illegal online sales of abortion-inducing drugs have been linked to forced abortions. Even without being sold illegally, the drugs have been linked to complications or death in some cases.

Gomperts and her lawyer claim that the FDA is using its power to bully her and reduce access to abortion for women in rural states, but the FDA says this action was taken purely to protect women's' safety. A representative of the agency had this to say in an interview with NPR.
“FDA remains very concerned about the sale of unapproved mifepristone for medical termination of early pregnancy on the Internet or via other channels for illegal importation because this bypasses important safeguards designed to protect women’s health,”
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