Last week in Pennsylvania, authorities uncovered the heartbreaking story of a baby buried in a backyard after a chemical abortion. This tragedy is a sobering reminder that behind every abortion statistic is a real child — and that chemical abortion drugs like mifepristone pose not only moral questions but serious risks to women as well.
Mifepristone Background
In 2000, the FDA approved mifepristone, the first drug in a two-step protocol used to end pregnancies through the 10th week. In their rush to offer an “easy,” non-surgical abortion method, the FDA bypassed serious safety concerns and put women at immense risk.
After mifepristone’s initial approval, the FDA continued to weaken safeguards in 2016 and 2021 — first allowing healthcare providers who are not physicians to prescribe the drug, and later permitting it to be prescribed via video call and sent through the mail. These reckless decisions ignored well-documented safety concerns — all to expand access at the cost of women’s health.
Today, a woman can simply video chat with a Planned Parenthood staffer, have abortion pills shipped to her home, and take them without ever undergoing a physical exam to ensure her body can safely handle the medication.
Every Maine legislator — regardless of their stance on abortion — should agree that if chemical abortions are going to happen, there must be more safeguards in place to protect women from these dangers. Legislators have proposed three bills in the 2025 Legislative Session to correct the FDA’s reckless deregulation and put necessary protections back in place.
Maine’s Current Laws
Blue states have long supported the use of chemical abortion pills, often ignoring their dangers. When the U.S. Supreme Court began reviewing the FDA’s deregulation of mifepristone, six blue states stockpiled thousands of abortion pills to distribute — effectively signaling that they would push the drug no matter what the Court ruled.
Currently, Maine has almost no limitation on abortion whatsoever. The pro-abortion website AbortionFinder.com describes Maine’s laws plainly:
“Abortion is legal throughout pregnancy in Maine – there is no ban or limit on abortion in Maine based on how far along in pregnancy you are. Parental involvement is not required in Maine. If you’re younger than 18, you can consent to an abortion and do not have to notify a parent to get an abortion in Maine.”
We have a long road ahead in establishing pro-life protections in Maine — and regulating chemical abortions is an important starting point.
Chemical Abortion Risks
The risks associated with both surgical and chemical abortions are well-documented. Abortion has been linked to increased risks of breast cancer, future ectopic pregnancies, and other complications.
Chemical abortions are especially dangerous because they are self-administered at home, often without medical oversight.
“RU-486, otherwise known as mifepristone, has an FDA warning for causing drug toxicity/overdose, ruptured ectopic tubes, hemorrhage, and more,” Liberty Counsel explained. “From February 2019 to September 2020 alone, the drug killed 3,197 women. Among the other thousands of adverse injuries reported during the same period, 2/3 of women who did not die of RU-486’s adverse events required surgery to save their life and future fertility.”
In addition to physical harm, studies show that many women even develop Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS), which has been likened to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Another study showed that women are 81% more likely to experience mental health issues, either short-term or long-term, after an abortion.
Please join us as we advocate for the three bills legislators have proposed this session — LD 886, LD 682, and LD 682 — to rein in the radical pro-abortion lobby and protect women from chemical abortions in our state. Click here to learn more.
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