Abortions in the United States are overwhelmingly done via the abortion pill regimen, a two-pill procedure that utilizes mifepristone to cut off progesterone from the developing baby inside the womb and then misoprostol to expel the dead baby through uterine contractions.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals essentially ruled on May 1 that mifepristone could only be prescribed with an in-person doctor visit. The Supreme Court has since lifted the ban for one week, and it is yet to be seen what will happen with the other half of the abortion pill regimen, misoprostol.
Pro-life groups cheered the 5th Circuit ruling, but here’s the thing: Medication abortions can still be done with misoprostol only. Mifepristone is not needed. In fact, many countries have been using the misoprostol-only regimen for decades. And Planned Parenthood was immediately ready to ship out misoprostol pills as soon as mifepristone was no longer an option.
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One day after the 5th Circuit Court ruling, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Greater New York told the New York Times that the organization had already started mailing misoprostol-only abortion pills.
The abortion industry knew this was coming, and the pro-life movement didn’t win this one. When I worked at Planned Parenthood, we discussed having to switch over to a misoprostol-only medication abortion in case mifepristone was no longer available for whatever reason. It did not faze my former employer whatsoever. Because mifepristone is the more expensive component of the two-pill regimen, it would be welcomed should something like the 5th Circuit ruling happen.
It’s always about money after all.
Danco is one of the companies that makes mifepristone and appealed Louisiana’s attempt to stop its distribution in the state. The 5th Circuit’s ruling discussed Danco’s “substantial financial interest” in selling mifepristone and how it did not outweigh the irreparable harm the pills caused women in the state.
“Louisiana argues the district court erred by finding its irreparable harms are outweighed by FDA’s interest in continuing its review and Danco’s financial interests in selling mifepristone,” the 5th Circuit ruling reads. “We agree.”
The abortion pill can have serious side effects. The largest known study on the abortion pill, released by the Ethics and Public Policy Center earlier this year, analyzed insurance claims data covering more than 865,000 mifepristone abortions between 2017 and 2023. It found that nearly 11% of women experienced a serious complication, including sepsis, infection, or hemorrhage, within 45 days of the procedure. This number is 22 times higher than reported on the drug label.
Louisiana is footing the cost of medical care when the abortion pill harms women. The 5th Circuit ruling referenced the fact that Louisiana identified “$92,000 it paid in Medicaid costs from two women who needed emergency care in 2025 from complications caused by out-of-state mifepristone. Such costs will almost certainly continue because nearly 1,000 women monthly — many of whom are on Medicaid — have mifepristone-induced abortions in Louisiana.”
The pro-life movement should never have championed this ruling. Misoprostol-only abortions are horrific and have been used in other countries to induce labor during the second trimester in order to end the life of the unborn baby. What happens if that baby is still alive when it’s born? What kind of decision will a woman make then? The International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics published a study in 2007 about misoprostol-only abortions in the second trimester, revealing that there can be serious side effects, such as uterine rupture and infection, but also “that fetuses aborted after 20 weeks may show signs of life after abortion.”
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This case is not a win for the pro-life movement. It only gives the abortion industry a different way to end the life of an innocent, unborn baby. Women and their families need support when faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Abortion is not empowerment for women. It’s not the epitome of feminism. It’s a horrific option that should be banned.
The suffering I have experienced personally from a medication abortion and witnessed others experience is nothing short of walking through hell. The court case just gives women another path into the same destruction.
Abby Johnson is the founder and CEO of And Then There Were None and ProLove Ministries.