Planned Parenthood falsely claimed that mifepristone is ‘safer than Tylenol.’
The state of Missouri is accusing Planned Parenthood of deceiving women about the safety of chemical abortion drug mifepristone in a newly filed false-advertising lawsuit.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) sued Planned Parenthood over its debunked claim that mifepristone is “safer than Tylenol” despite peer-reviewed medical research showing otherwise.
The lawsuit cites FDA labeling and peer-reviewed research showing mifepristone causes serious adverse effects in 4.5 percent of cases and references a study from the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center that found mifepristone has serious consequences in nearly 11 percent of cases.
“The national Planned Parenthood organization is actively endangering the lives of women and girls across the country by spreading lies and disinformation about the powerful chemical abortion drug,” Bailey said in a statement.
“The facts are clear: more than 4.5 percent of women who take this dangerous drug end up in the emergency room, yet Planned Parenthood compares it to Tylenol. This is a blatant violation of Missouri law, and I will not allow a death factory to lie to Missouri women in pursuit of its radical agenda.”
NR has reached out to Planned Parenthood for comment.
The lawsuit argues that Planned Parenthood is systematically misleading Missouri women about mifepristone to increase revenue. Research released in March 2024 by the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute found that chemical abortions made up 63 percent of all abortions in 2023, a 10 percent increase from 2020.
Missouri is alleging Planned Parenthood uses its deceptive claims about the safety of mifepristone to encourage women to use the abortion drug and conceal it from their emergency medical providers. The state is asking for $1.8 million in civil damages and a court order barring Planned Parenthood from spreading false information about mifepristone. Missouri is also seeking $1,000 in damages for every woman Planned Parenthood gave abortions to and reimbursements for taxpayer-funded emergency health care to treat abortion pill complications.
Pro-lifers are celebrating Bailey’s lawsuit against Planned Parenthood for holding the abortion giant accountable and speaking truthfully about the risks of mifepristone.
“Attorney General Bailey is modeling leadership for the rest of the country by standing up to the abortion lobby and fighting for truth, transparency and the safety of Missouri women. He’s showing real courage by holding Planned Parenthood accountable, and we applaud his bold action,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony pro-life America.
Life advocates are encouraging other states to file similar lawsuits against Planned Parenthood for its claims about mifepristone.
“Planned Parenthood has used its national reach and resources to convince women that the abortion drug is safe, while ignoring that as many as 1 in 10 women will experience a serious adverse medical event after taking the drug. Thankfully, Attorney General Bailey is calling out the deception and filing this new lawsuit to protect women from the substandard care that has become commonplace in Planned Parenthood centers across the country,” said David Bereit, executive director of life leadership conference.
On a national level, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed interest in potentially updating mifepristone’s label because of the EPPC’s findings. The Food and Drug Administration promised last month to conduct a full review of mifepristone’s safety following pressure from Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.). Earlier this week, Hawley urged Kennedy to reinstitute safety regulations on mifepristone and reverse actions taken by Democratic presidents to reduce guardrails surrounding it.
Republican lawmakers recently secured a generational win against Planned Parenthood by defunding it for an entire year, potentially causing a third of its centers to close nationwide. The legislative victory came right after the Supreme Court permitted individual states to defund Planned Parenthood through Medicaid funds.