FDA Approves Ella Abortion Drug as Emergency Contraceptive

Author: Family Research Council
Published: 2010/08/15 - Updated: 2024/06/14
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed, Announcement
Category Topic: FDA News and Approvals - Academic Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Ella is a drug that can cause abortions but is misleadingly labeled as an effective Emergency Contraceptive. By approving this drug quietly on a Friday afternoon when most of Washington was on vacation, the Obama Administration and the FDA once again placed politics above science, women's health, and informed consent.

Defining Abortion

Abortion

Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removing or expulsing an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregnancies. When deliberate steps are taken to end a pregnancy, it is called an induced abortion, or less frequently, "induced miscarriage." The unmodified word abortion generally refers to an induced abortion.

Introduction

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Ella, a drug that can cause abortions but is misleadingly labeled as a more effective "Emergency Contraceptive."

Main Content

Jeanne Monahan, Director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, had the following to say:

"The FDA opted against including the critical fact that Ella can cause an abortion on a baby already implanted in its mother's womb in the drug labeling information. This decision flies in the face of the Obama Administration's promise to transparency and a commitment to science. The difference between preventing and destroying life is enormous, and women have the right to know how this drug will act on their bodies and on their babies."

"Since Ella is chemically similar to RU-486 (which has been the cause of at least six deaths reported to the FDA in less than six years) it is likely that the serious health concerns for women will be similar. The FDA has very little knowledge about how this drug will impact women's health and for that reason alone should do more research before approval."

"In approving Ella, the FDA also ignored concerns raised in early August by ninety-one members of Congress, including fourteen Democrats. In a letter to the FDA Commissioner, these members requested that the FDA postpone approval of Ella until they could prove it did not cause abortions, among other conditions. Additionally, approval of Ella raises concerns about taxpayer funding of abortions, since currently the U.S. Government will pay for emergency contraception, but not abortion pills."

"The FDA advisory panel largely ignored important questions, including impacts on women's health and the abortifacient capacity of Ella. The FDA and the Obama Administration now follow suit. By approving this drug quietly on a Friday afternoon when most of Washington was on vacation, the Obama Administration and the FDA once again placed politics above science, women's health and informed consent."

"FRC and other pro-life leaders promise to do everything possible to educate the public about the truth of Ella."

Related Information

• U.S. Supreme Court Unanimously Upholds Access to Abortion Pill Mifepristone: American Psychological Association (APA) applauds U.S. Supreme Court's opinion allowing Mifepristone, a drug commonly used for medical abortions to remain on the market.
• Possible Denial of Drugs for Women with MS, Migraine, Epilepsy Due to Abortion Ban: The University of California, San Francisco perspective article says abortion ban ruling may result in an increased risk of deaths, disability.
• Care for Women Who Miscarriage May Be Compromised in States Restricting Abortion: A female who miscarriages in U.S. states with restrictive abortion policies may be less likely to receive optimal care than in states with supportive abortion policies.
• Psychiatric Harm from Restricting Access to Abortion: Severe stress from an inability to access abortion harms the fetus and can trigger psychiatric illness, suicide, or postpartum psychosis in the mother.
• 25 Million Unsafe Abortions Annually Worldwide: A study by WHO and the Guttmacher Institute reveals majority of unsafe abortions occurred in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Trust in U.S. Supreme Court Plummets Due to Rising Political Polarization: Survey exposes declining public confidence in Supreme Court approval and legitimacy process.
• Care for Women Who Miscarriage May Be Compromised in States Restricting Abortion: A female who miscarriages in U.S. states with restrictive abortion policies may be less likely to receive optimal care than in states with supportive abortion policies.

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Family Research Council and published on 2010/08/15, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.