When Safety Claims Fall ShortWhen Safety Claims Fall Short

Amnion’s mission is rooted in truth, love, and advocacy for life. We strive to walk with women in every season, offering compassion and clarity as they navigate some of life’s most difficult decisions. It is essential to be equipped with the medical facts and critical information our clients need, and be informed about new research findings that affect the lives and health of the women we serve.

A recent study from the Ethics & Public Policy Center (EPPC)* reveals troubling data about the abortion pill, also known as mifepristone. With over 800,000 cases analyzed through insurance claim records, the research identifies serious adverse risks to women – a much different picture than what has been presented in clinical trials or mainstream messaging.

This new evidence should serve as a wake-up call for the medical community, lawmakers, and all who care deeply about the well-being of women.

What Is the Abortion Pill?

The abortion pill is a two-drug regimen used to terminate early pregnancies, typically up to 10 weeks gestation. Mifepristone (also known by its brand name, Mifeprex) is taken first to block the hormone progesterone, which is necessary to sustain a pregnancy. Misoprostol follows, taken 24 to 48 hours later, causing the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy.

This method is frequently marketed as safe, simple, and “natural,” often referred to as a “medication abortion” or “at-home abortion.” However, emerging real-world data suggests there are significant risks of serious adverse events.

New Data: A Closer Look at the Study

The EPPC study analyzed insurance claims spanning six years, from 2017 to 2023, using a robust data set from the Truven Marketscan Commercial Claims and Encounters database. It included 865,727 chemical abortions involving mifepristone, offering the most comprehensive look to date at post-abortion health outcomes in the U.S.

Here are some of the key findings:

• One in ten women (10.93%) experienced a serious adverse event within 42 days of taking the abortion pill. This includes emergency room visits, surgeries, infections, hemorrhaging, and even hospitalizations.
• Hemorrhage occurred in 5.4% of cases, while 2.5% experienced sepsis or infection, and 0.6% required surgical treatment due to incomplete abortion or retained tissue.
• Many women (over 6%) needed follow-up surgery. This contradicts the notion that medication abortions are a one-and-done, at-home process.
• Notably, these real-world outcomes differ dramatically from the less than 0.5% adverse event rate reported by clinical trials used to promote the drug’s safety to the FDA and public.
• These are not abstract numbers. These represent real women, real pain, and real consequences – often faced alone, at home, and without adequate follow-up care.

Why This Discrepancy Matters

Clinical trials often involve tightly controlled environments, with close monitoring, ideal health conditions, and limited reporting windows. Real life, however, is far more complex. In everyday settings, women may not have immediate access to follow-up care or may not report complications that occur outside a short timeframe.

This new data is so critical. Serious medical complications are the reality for thousands of women who have experienced an adverse medical event after taking the abortion pill — complications that may not have been fully disclosed or discussed beforehand.

When women are encouraged to make major medical decisions based on incomplete or misleading information, it robs them of the ability to choose with full awareness. At Amnion, we believe that informed decisions begin with truth.

A Compassionate Response

Amnion’s mission is to serve the vulnerable and to bring hope to life at the crossroads of critical life decisions. We know firsthand how difficult an unplanned pregnancy can be. We see the fears, the pressures, and the deep emotions behind every decision.

But care must never come at the cost of clarity.

Women deserve to know all the facts about the procedures they’re considering, especially when those procedures carry risks to their physical and emotional health. The new EPPC study is a sobering reminder that so much more needs to be done to ensure transparency and accountability in reproductive healthcare.

What We’re Doing at Amnion

Amnion is committed to walking alongside women in grace and truth by:

• Providing Accurate, Evidence-Based Information: We make every effort to ensure that the women who walk through our doors know their options, the risks, and the support available to her, without pressure or judgment.
• Offering Free, Compassionate Medical Care: Our licensed nurses and trained staff offer pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, and STD testing, as well as medical referrals and prenatal education.
• Supporting Women Before, During, and After Pregnancy: Whether a woman chooses parenting, adoption, or is still undecided, we provide compassionate, confidential care with practical support, material assistance, educational programs, and mentoring.
• Advocating for Life and Safety in Policy and Practice: We believe every life is valuable, from the moment of conception, and that includes the life of the mother. True pro-life care champions both.

What YOU Can Do

1. Pray for the women who are currently facing pregnancy decisions in isolation or fear.
2. Share this information with friends and family who may not know the truth about the medical risks of the abortion pill.
3. Partner with Us by donating or volunteering to support women with real help and hope.

We are grateful to stand for life. The God who formed each star also formed every life in the womb with intention and purpose.

Let’s be a voice for truth. Let’s be a refuge for women. Let’s be a light in a culture that often chooses convenience over care.

————–

Are you considering the abortion pill?  If you or someone you know is struggling with questions about pregnancy, abortion, and options, consider reaching out to our team.

All of Amnion’s services are FREE and confidential. Make an appointment today – call 610.622.9957 or email info@amnion.org for more information.

—————

*EPPC (Ethics & Public Policy Council) Report on the Abortion Pill, published April 28, 2025 [https://eppc.org/publication/insurance-data-reveals-one-in-ten-patients-experiences-a-serious-adverse-event/]