Mifepristone, a drug used to induce abortions, has become the center of the abortion debate in America lately. Since two different rulings, one in its favor in Washington and another against it in Texas came out, it has become a representation of how far apart Americans are when it comes to abortion laws. The ruling in Texas has held approval for mifepristone, giving the Department of Justice a week to appeal the decision. The ruling in Washington though, said that the FDA must keep the pill available in the 12 liberal states.
This has led to some controversy as 53% of documented abortions in America are facilitated by medical abortion drugs. The prevalence of medical abortion drugs in America is substantial but it is nothing compared to Europe. In France alone, 70% of abortions are conducted using medical abortion drugs. Many conservatives in America have raised questions about how safe this method is. Data on the matter states that medical abortion drugs are safe to use up till 10 weeks of pregnancy, which is the time range for their efficacy as well. With in that time span, these drugs can be used for abortions with out the need for medical attention or hospitalization. What that basically means is that the 2-pill course can allow a patient to abort a child at home provided she has a prescription to acquire the pills. Beyond that time period though, abortions have to be conducted using vacuum aspiration or other medical procedures.
Since the Supreme Court ruling overturning abortion as a constitutional right in June, 13 states have banned most forms of abortions, including medical abortions. Despite the ban a number of organizations have continued to provide abortion pills to pregnant women on the sly in these states. On the other-hand in states where abortion is legal, the FDA has allowed abortion pills to be sent to patients via mail provided a prescription given. Such discrepancies between different states of the same nation, as well as the way the law makers of those states approach these issues, has led to a heated debate between both sides of the divide. With common ground not being found, in all likelihood, the debate will rage on for a while.