This is a call against the deception about the most recent death due to the complications of Mifepristone and the side effects of the Mifepristone /Misoprostol (chemical abortion) combination. This case is heart wrenching, and for politicians to use this case to criticize pro-life laws is inexcusable. It has nothing to do with pro-life laws and does not follow typical standard of care.

The case involves a 41-year-old patient by the name of Amber Thurman who went to North Carolina to get a surgical abortion. She was late to her appointment, probably secondary to traffic, and so she was given the first dose of Mifepristone and told to go home and take the second pill of Misoprostol when she got home. She did what she was told, and the next day she began experiencing side effects, including heavy bleeding and nausea and vomiting. She then went to the closest emergency room, which is what all abortion clinics tell their patients to do. This happens in one in 25 patients receiving this regiment. They must go to the ER, according to the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA). She was found to have retained products of conception that became infected.

She was started on antibiotics but for unknown reasons did not immediately undergo a D&C procedure. The baby at this time was dead, so the delay is not understandable. This would have been the standard of care. We are not sure why this happened. It is certainly not because of pro-life laws; they do not pertain to a baby that is already dead.

This case is about the side effects of mifepristone and the delay in appropriate treatment. Mifepristone is not safer than Tylenol. That statistic comes form hospital admissions. Comparing the fact that six million people take Tylenol and only 500,000 take mifepristone it is not an appropriate comparison. Also, patients who come to the hospital from Tylenol have overdosed, and with Mifepristone they are taking it as recommended.

There are two glaring items of misinformation here that we call on the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) to correct. Even though ACOG has promoted that there be no restrictions on Mifepristone, we ask them to honestly review the data and appropriately discuss the side effects of Mifepristone. Also being silent regarding the confusion regarding pro-life laws is being complicit in these deaths. We call on ACOG to do the right thing and help bring clarity to these issues, not confusion. We realize that ACOG is a pro-abortion organization, but they have a powerful voice, and for the sake of saving lives, they must do the right thing.