NPR

Medication abortion is still possible with just one drug. Here's how it works

A judge's ruling puts access to the abortion drug mifepristone in limbo, pending further court decisions. But there's another drug that is safe and effective at ending early pregnancy.
Misoprostol is typically used as part of a two-drug protocol for a medication abortion. But it is also safe and effective when used alone, doctors say.

On Friday, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the Food and Drug Administration didn't properly approve a drug which has been on the market for more than 20 years in the U.S. for medical abortions. The drug in question, mifepristone, is used along with one other drug in most medication abortions in the U.S.

The fallout of the ruling could mean that mifepristone becomes unavailable in the U.S. in the near future, though the ruling is being challenged in court. Depending how legal battles play out and how the FDA responds, the effects of this ruling may apply only in certain states, or may indeed curtail mifepristone use around the country.

If this happens, doctors say they will continue to offer medication abortions without mifepristone, using only the other drug, misoprostol. Here's what to

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