FDA Approves Ella Abortion Drug as Emergency Contraceptive

Definition

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.

Main Digest

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."

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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."

Resources That Provide Relevant Information

• Psychiatric Harm from Restricting Access to Abortion
• Estimated 25 Million Unsafe Abortions Occur Each Year Worldwide
• Abortion: General Overview and Statistics

Attribution/Source(s):

This peer reviewed article relating to our FDA News and Approvals section was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World due to its likely interest to our disability community readers. Though the content may have been edited for style, clarity, or length, the article "FDA Approves Ella Abortion Drug as Emergency Contraceptive" was originally written by Family Research Council, and published by Disabled-World.com on 2010-08-15 (Updated: 2023-02-10). Should you require further information or clarification, Family Research Council can be contacted at frc.org. Disabled World makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith.

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