Women Deserve To Be Empowered By Doctors, Not Rushed To Medical Abortion Without Them

Imagine a woman experiencing chest pain, one with numbness in her right arm and leg, another finding a lump in her breast, and another, with a positive pregnancy test, inquiring whether she should continue with the pregnancy or have an abortion. Each of these women has questions that need expert answers. However, while the first three patients are advised to see a doctor, the woman with an unintended pregnancy is often encouraged to seek chemical abortion by herself. This situation removes her from the doctor-patient relationship and eliminates the opportunity for comprehensive medical care.

Women who are expecting deserve thorough medical attention too. Dr. Susan Bane, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and medical director at a medical clinic in Wilson, North Carolina, believes that every woman deserves compassionate and professional medical care that empowers her with information.

Biden Administration’s Approval of At-Home Drugs is Dangerous

Chemical abortions use mifepristone and misoprostol to induce an abortion. Despite the life-threatening complications of self-managed abortions, the regimen is FDA-approved for use up to ten weeks of gestation, and its use is increasing. This year, the Department of Justice allowed the U.S. Postal Service to deliver prescribed abortion drugs even in states with restricted abortion access. The FDA also permitted retail pharmacies to dispense abortion drugs, and court challenges to state laws restricting access to these drugs further endanger pregnant women.

The Dangers of Chemical Abortion Without an Ultrasound

Dr. Bane cautioned that self-managed chemical abortions can result in severe complications and even death. Women who use abortion drugs without an ultrasound run the risk of severe hemorrhaging and subsequent complications if they miscalculate the duration of their pregnancy. Ultrasound is crucial for dating pregnancy accurately and screening for ectopic pregnancy, which can endanger the mother’s life. Medical practitioners have a role to play in empowering women with comprehensive care by discussing their medical history, ordering tests, performing a physical examination, and outlining available treatment options.

Denying women thorough care is depriving them of vital information that could empower them to make informed decisions. Women deserve better medical attention that provides more solutions, not fewer.