HMN 2025: How Emergency contraception capsule may very well be an alternative choice to mifepristone for abortions

A brand new research suggests {that a} capsule used for emergency contraception may very well be repurposed at a better dose as an abortion drug, offering a potential various to mifepristone, one of many two medication utilized in the commonest kind of abortion within the United States.

Mifepristone has been below assault by abortion opponents, with a number of states in search of in federal courtroom to limit its use.

Now utilized in two-thirds of U.S. abortions, mifepristone blocks a hormone wanted to maintain a being pregnant. It’s usually used with misoprostol, which causes contractions and bleeding.

In the research, 133 girls who have been as much as 9 weeks’ pregnant took a 60 milligram dose of ulipristal acetate, the energetic ingredient within the prescription contraceptive Ella, adopted by misoprostol 24 hours later.

For 97% of them, that drug combo was efficient at inducing an abortion, an effectiveness equal to the mifepristone-misoprostol mixture. Four girls wanted a process or a further medicine to finish the abortion.

The 60 milligram dose of ulipristal used within the research is twice the dose of Ella, a prescription drug used for emergency contraception.

The firm that makes Ella says on its web site that it will not finish an present being pregnant. It will be taken as much as 5 days after unprotected intercourse to forestall being pregnant.

The findings, printed Thursday within the journal NEJM Evidence, could make emergency contraception a goal of abortion opponents.

“I’m actually fearful that these outcomes may very well be misapplied by anti-abortion activists to attempt to additional their assault on contraception,” mentioned Dr. Daniel Grossman of the University of California, San Francisco, who wrote an accompanying editorial within the journal. Grossman praised the research however mentioned extran analysis is required on ulipristal as an abortion drug earlier than docs would prescribe it routinely for that use.

Lead creator Dr. Beverly Winikoff, president of Gynuity Health Projects, a not-for-profit analysis group, mentioned girls want details about ulipristal, particularly with mifepristone challenged in courtroom.

“At least now we might have an alternate,” Winikoff mentioned. “I believe it is higher to have extra issues that you can use.”

© 2025 The Associated Press. This materials is probably not printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.