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The expanded access to abortion pills by the United States Food and Drug Administration on Jan. 3 serves as a step in the right direction, especially during a time in which various states throughout the country have made efforts to restrict such access following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

But it should not serve as the finish line in the fight for a person’s choice and options in reproductive health. Instead, this decision should be seen as a stepping stone to eventually restore access to abortion procedures and other forms of reproductive health care across the country.

The FDA’s decision comes less than a year after Roe v. Wade was overturned, which previously ruled in favor of abortion rights by citing the due process clause of the 14th Amendment.

Despite this advancement, the fight for abortion access continues. In less than a year following Roe’s reversal, twenty four states have either already banned abortion or are expected to do so in the near future. Furthermore, recent protests against increased abortion access, such as the annual March for Life rally held on the National Mall, continue to divide the country on the subject matter.

It is vital that while we celebrate advancements made in favor of expanding abortion access, advocates must not waver on their efforts to educate the American public on the importance of access to abortion procedures overall.

Access to abortion procedures and medications are vital especially for those who lack access to proper health care that would ensure the safety of both the parent and child if the pregnancy were to continue. Pregnancy related health complications are more likely to occur in Black and Hispanic communities, which is frequently the result of lower employment rates in sectors that provide access to higher quality health care.

But the necessity of ensuring abortion rights simply does not end with those who medically require such procedures. It should simply be about an individual’s right to have access to an abortion regardless of their circumstance. If a person wishes to end a pregnancy, they should have the option to do so with no questions asked.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, a majority of abortions performed in the United States are done through the use of abortion pills rather than surgery. Since the FDA’s approval of the use of mifepristone and misoprostol in 2000, over 3.7 million individuals in the United States have used the drug.

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It is clear that access to abortion pills has played a large role in the expanding of access to abortion services nationwide, and the FDA’s post Roe decision to allow their sale through retail pharmacies only furthers the argument for their importance.

However, certain states have started to take action on banning access to abortion pills. If these plans are finalized, the FDA’s decision will no longer have any impact, which is why it is important that an individual’s right to access abortion procedures is ultimately cemented in a law at the federal level.

In regard to states who have not made any plans to ban access to abortion-inducing medication, access to these pills still are not guaranteed. This pill is only accessible at retail pharmacies to those who hold a prescription from a certified prescriber. Mifepristone, the first medication in a two drug sequence used to induce an abortion, had previously only been available from select clinics and mail order pharmacies.

Access to such medication can provide relief to individuals in all walks of life. For example, many college students rely on having access to an abortion if they determine it is needed. Such reasons include not having access to proper health care and not wanting a pregnancy to interfere with their studies.

Access to abortion services while in college is also a necessity for those who may have been victims of sexual assault. Women in college aged 18 to 24 are three times more likely than other women in college to experience some sort of sexual violence. Furthermore, the number of unwanted pregnancies resulting from acts of sexual violence each year in the United States ranges anywhere from 7,750 to 12,500.

The FDA’s decision to allow for the sale of abortion pills at retail pharmacies is proof of progress, however it is simply the bare minimum of what needs to be done to protect abortion rights across the country.
It is crucial that we continue to not only support but openly advocate for expanded access to abortion procedures, as it is clear they have the ability to impact our everyday lives.

College students will benefit from being informed on the options they have while attending school in the event they decide to have an abortion. A resource Syracuse University students should be aware of are the abortion services provided through Upstate University Hospital, which includes access to abortion-inducing medication.

Grace “Gray” Reed is a Sophomore magazine, news and digital journalism major. Their column appears bi-weekly. They can be reached at greed04@syr.edu.

Published on January 23, 2023 at 10:08 pm