The Biden administration continues to roll back Trump-era restrictions and their latest reversal addresses the very real concerns surrounding women’s healthcare during the pandemic. On Monday, Biden’s team announced they were instituting a temporary FDA policy that would allow patients to be prescribed and sent abortion medication without the need for an in-person doctor visit. Patients now seeking an abortion can make telehealth appointments with their doctor and have the pill delivered via mail. The new policy directly contradicts a Trump policy meant to curb women’s access to safe abortion methods by requiring patients to pick up the pills in person — something that’s become increasingly dangerous during the pandemic.
Food and Drug Administration acting commissioner Janet Woodcock sent a letter to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists describing the administration’s decision, citing multiple studies that prove that the pill known as mifepristone poses little risk to women who choose to forego an in-person visit. In fact, the abortion pill is one of the safer, more popular ways patients early in their pregnancy choose to terminate. Still, the decision has been predictably met by “pro-life” groups claiming the new policy will end up causing a “catastrophic loss of life by mail.”
As always, people are pretty split on the decision:
The idea that hormonal birth control constitutes “healthcare” is a total joke, it’s basically a recreational drug. Sterilizing yourself for tinder dates is not the same thing as taking insulin to stay alive
— Lo-fi Republican (@LoFiRepublican) April 13, 2021
Actually, not wanting to become pregnant is a valid health concern. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed this, but pregnancy is a difficult and dangerous condition
— uphold shi zhiyong thought
(@koaleszenz) April 13, 2021
Joe Biden and the @US_FDA are once again allowing a dangerous abortion pill, mifepristone, to be delivered by mail. In addition to taking the life of the unborn child, this drug has serious health risks for women. This decision by Biden is reckless and dangerous.
— Rep. Doug Lamborn (@RepDLamborn) April 13, 2021
The abortion pill is extremely safe, meaning it is no danger to the women’s life. You can’t pull the pro-life card out to control women and then put it away to defend guns.
— Nikki (@NikkiBrinksCO) April 13, 2021
It makes no damn sense to force a woman to carry a pregnancy – ever – but certainly we can agree: if a woman wants to abort when she is a few weeks pregnant FORCING her to continue being pregnant LONGER until an abortion b/c we’ve restricted access to two tiny pills is bonkers.
— Meg Conley (@_megconley) April 13, 2021
But maybe, and we’re just spitballing here, the best thing to do if you aren’t a woman considering getting an abortion, you could just not with any unsolicited opinions?