An international doctor who founded an organization that ships abortion pills to women around the world says she is now shipping such drugs to U.S. women, although it remains unclear whether her actions are legal.
Rebecca Gomperts, a doctor, formed a new organization called Aid Access that ships abortion pills to American women following an online consultation, The Atlantic reported. All total, it costs about $95.
The drugs – mifepristone and misoprostol -- are similar if not identical to what are sold in the United States. Mifepristone causes the lining of the uterus to release the unborn baby. Misoprostol sparks contractions and a delivery of the dead child. They can be taken only in the first nine weeks of pregnancy.
Aid Access is about six months old and has shipped pills to about 600 women, Gomperts told The Atlantic. An older organization she founded, Women on Web, does not ship to the U.S.
Gomperts said her service is legal, but the FDA told The Atlantic it is not.
“Mifepristone, including Mifeprex, for termination of pregnancy is not legally available over the Internet,” the FDA said in a statement. “The agency takes the allegations related to the sale of mifepristone in the U.S. through online distribution channels very seriously and is evaluating the allegations to assess potential violations of U.S. law.”
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, criticized Aid Access.
“Handing out deadly drugs through the mail is a disaster waiting to happen,” Hawkins told The Atlantic. “Women later in pregnancy or women experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, in particular, are in great risk -- two things that must be determined by examination and not by some online questionnaire.”
Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com.
Photo courtesy: Simone van der Koelen/Unsplash
