What The Actual **** Is Happening With Mifepristone?
I decided to bump the Q&A I was going to do this week, because of this question. And so many like them that I’ve gotten in person and by text in the last couple of days.
In case you don’t know what’s happening, let me see if I can fill in the blanks. Mifepristone is one of two drugs that’s used to abort a fetus in a medical abortion. This type of abortion can be done up to 10 weeks of pregnancy.
The majority of abortions in the United States are medical abortions.
To be clear, this court ruling is not about emergency contraception.
Before Friday May 1, 2026, someone could get a prescription for mifepristone though a telehealth appointment. And they could get the pills by mail.
After a ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based in Louisiana, these pills can no longer be prescribed by telehealth and they cannot be mailed.
This applies nationwide.
You can still get mifepristone in person.
For those of you who are thinking “no big deal, people can still get them in person” I need you to check your privilege for a second. Because that’s easy to say when you have the ability to physically get to a physician.
Ever heard of an abortion desert? This is a term that’s used when someone would need to travel 100 miles to get to an abortion clinic. The estimate is that 45% of counties in the United States are abortion deserts. So getting to an in-person appointment is not that easy.
And that doesn’t take into account the financial hardship. You may have to take unpaid leave from work. You may have to get childcare if you don’t want to take kids to the doctor with you. And you have to pay for gas or transportation. All of these expenses add up.
So it’s not as easy as “just drive to a doctor and get a prescription.”
Let me address three of the questions I’ve been answering a lot since Friday.
The first question is why does a court of appeals that is based in Louisiana, and also covers Mississippi and Texas, have an impact nationwide? Because it was addressing a federal policy, and that’s the way the system works.
Let me be clear here, I’m nowhere close to being a legal scholar. This is happening so fast that I couldn’t get any of my lawyer friends to weigh-in. If you’re a lawyer and want to team up on a few articles about sex and the law, please reach out to me!
Question two is about the ruling mentioning safety concerns of the medication. That’s just a lie. There are no major concerns about the safety of mifepristone. The FDA says it themselves. This is from their website on May 3, 2026.
It’s worth pointing out that mifepristone is used for things other than medical abortions. It’s used by some people who have Cushing’s syndrome to help address their hyperglycemia. Which is high blood sugar. Not treating high blood sugar can cause nerve damage, kidney damage, and cardiovascular disease. It can also be fatal.
The third question I’m getting around this ruling is “now what?” And that I can’t answer conclusively, because things are changing quickly.
On Saturday May 2, 2026, two emergency appeals were made to the United States Supreme Court to allow people to continue to be able to get mifepristone by mail. In case you want to do your own research, or set up a news alert, the companies are Danco Laboratories, and GenBioPro.
If you want to keep on top of this, but are overwhelmed when you do a google search, let me offer some help. There are two sources that I’ve relied on for information about abortion consistently over the years.
The first is Jessica Valenti, who’s Substack is ABORTION, EVERY DAY. I’ve sent her most recent post The Biggest Attack on Abortion Since the End of Roe to a number of people today, and a few have told me it’s been helpful. If you like her post, you might want to subscribe to her Substack.
The other place is ineedana.com. It’s a website that helps people to figure out what the options are if they, or someone they know, need an abortion. I did a podcast episode with the founder and director last year. You can find it here
You can also reach out to me if you have more questions.
If this ruling has pissed you off then I’m begging you, do something! Call your elected officials, which I think you should be doing daily anyway. Support organizations that are doing the work to help people access abortion. Like ineedana.com, the Brigid Alliance, or Plan C Pills
And keep up with what’s happening.
If you don’t think this impacts you, for whatever reason, you can’t get pregnant, you could access a doctor if you need to, I can guarantee that this is an issue for someone you know. Help fight this fight for them, and for the people who are going to be immediately impacted by the decision. Many of whom are already struggling with a system that wasn’t designed by them or for them.
Before I close this, a quick thanks to my friend who said I could use her text and gave me permission to edit out the cursing. I have enough issues with censorship when I post!
Until next time, be safe, and have fun!
Have a sex question you want answered? Submit it here: https://milsteinhealthconsulting.com/heydrsue
