Leading Medical Organizations Reaffirm the Safety of Mifepristone

The following is a statement from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Urogynecologic Society, the Council of Chairs of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Society of Family Planning, the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the Society of OB/GYN Hospitalists, the Society for Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology, the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, and the Society of Gynecologic Oncology:

Our organizations maintain that mifepristone is a safe, effective, and integral part of the medical care that our members provide to their patients. We urge availability of mifepristone that is equitable; is free from needlessly burdensome restrictions; and reflects the full body of reputable, peer-reviewed, and scientifically valid medical literature demonstrating that mifepristone is an incredibly safe medication.

FDA approval of mifepristone must reflect the rigorous clinical evidence that has proven unequivocally that it is safe and effective for use in medication abortion and miscarriage management. Mifepristone has been used for decades by millions of patients, and complications are exceedingly rare, minor, and most often easily treatable.

Following the widely accepted approach to credible scientific research—which includes, for example, ethical review and oversight; control arms and blinding when appropriate; and analyses that can be validated and replicated—is essential to ensure that conclusions are sound and can be applied to inform the practice of medicine, regulatory decision-making, and policy actions. Research is compromised when it is informed by bias or is designed to reach a predetermined conclusion. Compromised research should not be considered when approving and regulating medications, including mifepristone. 

Mifepristone is critical to patient care and should be accessible to those whose health and lives will benefit from it. Availability of mifepristone should reflect the overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrating that mifepristone is safe and effective.

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