Riya Baibhawi

Researchers Discover Mifepristone Alternative Amid Legal Battle On Abortion Pills

Abortion Pills

US Supreme Court overturned the landmark <span>Roe v. Wade</span> decision in 2022, removing federal protection for <span>abortion</span> rights and allowing individual states to determine their abortion laws. This allowed many states to make medical termination of pregnancy completely illegal. Complicating things further, many states put a near ban on <span>abortion pills</span>, including <span>Mifepristone</span> (14 total states). Just recently, multiple states appealed in the country's top court for a complete ban on these pills. However, the justices ruled that the plaintiffs—a group of anti-abortion doctors and activists—did not have the legal standing to sue. Regardless, it left an opening for three states—Missouri, Kansas, and Idaho—to potentially revive their legal challenges on a total ban on Mifepristone pills. 

Mifepristone is a drug that blocks progesterone, a hormone essential for pregnancy to continue. When used in combination with another medicine, misoprostol, can terminate an intrauterine pregnancy within 10 weeks of gestation (70 days or less from the first day of the last menstrual period).

<h2>A New Alternative</h2>As the legal battle continues, a recent study has identified an alternative to mifepristone, offering new hope to women. The research suggests that ulipristal acetate, the active ingredient in emergency contraception pills like ellaOne, could be used as a substitute for Mifepristone.

In the study, 133 women up to nine weeks pregnant were given a 60-milligram dose of ulipristal acetate followed by misoprostol 24 hours later. For 97% of participants, this combination successfully induced abortion—a rate comparable to the effectiveness of the mifepristone-misoprostol regimen. Four participants required additional procedures or medications to complete the abortion.

The 60-milligram dose of ulipristal used in the study is double the standard dose found in ellaOne, which is commonly used for emergency contraception. According to the manufacturer of ellaOne, the drug is designed to prevent pregnancy and does not terminate an existing one. When used as emergency contraception, ellaOne is effective up to five days after unprotected sex. While further research is needed to concretize the discovery, if it works, then ulipristal acetate could become a magic pill for women with unwanted pregnancies.

Abortion pills are a combination of two medications- mifepristone and misoprostol, which are consumed in two separate doses. The person may experience cramping and bleeding within a few hours of taking the second medication. This is an indicator that it has worked. The combination of pills is a safe and reliable way to end a pregnancy up to about 12 weeks after the first day of your period. This process can take somewhere between 2 to 3 days to complete, however, symptoms can last for a few weeks. Passing large blood clots may indicate that the embryonic or fetal tissue is exiting your body. Cramping occurs so your uterus can shrink back to its original size. This procedure could be carried out at home. However, a follow-up appointment is suggested to get reassurance.

If you are not aborting at home with the help of the pill, an ultrasound is likely to be performed and you will be given a dissolving tablet that is placed in your vagina, under your tongue or between your cheek and teeth. This will lead to bleeding within 4 hours.

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US Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 2022, removing federal protection for abortion rights and allowing individual states to determine their abortion laws. This allowed many states to make medical termination of pregnancy completely illegal. Complicating things further, many states put a near ban on abortion pills, including Mifepristone (14 total states). Just recently, multiple states appealed in the country's top court for a complete ban on these pills. However, the justices ruled that the plaintiffs—a group of anti-abortion doctors and activists—did not have the legal standing to sue. Regardless, it left an opening for three states—Missouri, Kansas, and Idaho—to potentially revive their legal challenges on a total ban on Mifepristone pills. But Why Mifepristone?Mifepristone is a drug that blocks progesterone, a hormone essential for pregnancy to continue. When used in combination with another medicine, misoprostol, can terminate an intrauterine pregnancy within 10 weeks of gestation (70 days or less from the first day of the last menstrual period).A New AlternativeAs the legal battle continues, a recent study has identified an alternative to mifepristone, offering new hope to women. The research suggests that ulipristal acetate, the active ingredient in emergency contraception pills like ellaOne, could be used as a substitute for Mifepristone.In the study, 133 women up to nine weeks pregnant were given a 60-milligram dose of ulipristal acetate followed by misoprostol 24 hours later. For 97% of participants, this combination successfully induced abortion—a rate comparable to the effectiveness of the mifepristone-misoprostol regimen. Four participants required additional procedures or medications to complete the abortion.The 60-milligram dose of ulipristal used in the study is double the standard dose found in ellaOne, which is commonly used for emergency contraception. According to the manufacturer of ellaOne, the drug is designed to prevent pregnancy and does not terminate an existing one. When used as emergency contraception, ellaOne is effective up to five days after unprotected sex. While further research is needed to concretize the discovery, if it works, then ulipristal acetate could become a magic pill for women with unwanted pregnancies.How Do Abortion Pills Work?Abortion pills are a combination of two medications- mifepristone and misoprostol, which are consumed in two separate doses. The person may experience cramping and bleeding within a few hours of taking the second medication. This is an indicator that it has worked. The combination of pills is a safe and reliable way to end a pregnancy up to about 12 weeks after the first day of your period. This process can take somewhere between 2 to 3 days to complete, however, symptoms can last for a few weeks. Passing large blood clots may indicate that the embryonic or fetal tissue is exiting your body. Cramping occurs so your uterus can shrink back to its original size. This procedure could be carried out at home. However, a follow-up appointment is suggested to get reassurance.If you are not aborting at home with the help of the pill, an ultrasound is likely to be performed and you will be given a dissolving tablet that is placed in your vagina, under your tongue or between your cheek and teeth. This will lead to bleeding within 4 hours.