FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2022
Contact: Mallory Carroll, [email protected]
Planned Parenthood Ignores Severe Health & Safety Risks of Abortion Drugs
Washington, D.C. – America’s largest abortion chain, Planned Parenthood, today sued the state of South Dakota for taking action to block the distribution of dangerous chemical abortion drugs through telemedicine in the state. The order, an initiative of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and the South Dakota Legislature’s Interim Rules Review Committee, sets the following restrictions on chemical abortion drugs:
- Declares abortion drugs may only be used when prescribed or dispensed in person with physician oversight.
- Blocks distribution of chemical abortion drugs via telemedicine.
- Ensures that informed consent laws are properly administered, including that it may be possible for a woman to reverse the effects of the procedure if she changes her mind.
- Increases reporting requirements regarding chemical abortion rates and dangerous complications.
The national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) excoriated Planned Parenthood saying:
“This lawsuit reveals Planned Parenthood’s true motive: increasing its profit margin, no matter the risks to the health and safety of women and girls,” said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “Chemical abortion drugs, favored by the abortion industry for reducing their overhead costs, are dangerous and landing women in the hospital at an alarming rate. New research shows the rate of ER visits related to chemical abortion has skyrocketed more than 500% since 2002 – yet abortion advocates downplay these well-documented risks. Thankfully seven states including South Dakota have taken action to protect women and girls and more are considering it every day. As the Biden administration works to further deregulate these chemicals and make every pharmacy and post office an abortion center, state leadership is needed now more than ever. We thank Gov. Noem and pro-life South Dakotans for standing strong in the face of Planned Parenthood’s hypocrisy.”
Last month the Biden administration moved to weaken longstanding federal safety regulations against mail-order abortion drugs designed to protect women from serious health risks and potential abuse. The Biden administration policy allows for dangerous at-home, do-it-yourself abortions without necessary medical oversight. Biden has also nominated former FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf to resume the role he held under Barack Obama. During his tenure, he oversaw the limiting of reporting requirements for complications after chemical abortion – obscuring the real dangers of abortion drugs despite evidence they are unsafe.
A recent, first-of-its-kind study authored by Dr. James Studnicki and a team of experts at the Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI) found that chemical abortion is a major public health threat. The study found that the rate of abortion-related emergency room visits following a chemical abortion increased by more than 500% from 2002 through 2015. By analyzing 423,000 confirmed abortions, CLI scholars also found that the rate of chemical abortion-related ER visits is growing much faster than surgical abortion-related ER visits, and chemical abortion makes subsequent abortions more dangerous.
SBA List is a network of 900,000 pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.
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