Allowing over-the-counter access to abortion pills values ending pregnancies over the safety of women.

Taking abortion pills can lead to dangerous side effects, perhaps even death. Which is why the process of chemical abortion — called “medical” by pro-abortion advocates — is supposed to occur only under the guidance of a doctor. Indeed, post-Dobbs, women died because of improperly supervised chemical abortions, wrongly blamed by the media and pro-abortion advocates on pro-life laws.

But the medical establishment is so invested in unlimited abortion that JAMA Internal Medicine just published an advocacy article calling for the two drugs used in chemical abortions to be available over the counter:

A growing body of evidence indicates that mifepristone and misoprostol meet the FDA’s criteria for OTC sale. The medications are not addictive, and the user determines on their own whether they have the condition needing treatment, in this case an unwanted pregnancy. The criteria that the FDA is likely to focus on are whether the user can appropriately self-select for use and whether they can use the product correctly over time, often referred to as actual use.

Regarding the former, research indicates that people can accurately self-assess their gestational duration and other eligibility criteria for medication abortion. In the event someone uses the regimen significantly past 10 weeks of pregnancy (for example, after 12 weeks’ gestation), it is less likely to be effective, but it is unlikely to cause serious medical complications for the pregnant person.For the question about actual use, even with facility-based medication abortion, patients generally take the medications on their own at home, manage adverse events, and determine when they need follow-up care. [Citations omitted.]

The authors admit that such a system would require the construction of a tremendous support infrastructure that does not now exist:

Undoubtedly, there will be challenges to equitable implementation of OTC medication abortion. It remains to be determined what additional resources (such as clinician hotlines, materials, websites, or apps) will be necessary to ensure support throughout an OTC abortion process. Whereas facility-based medication abortion offers a direct line of communication between patients and clinicians, an OTC model would require mechanisms for timely access to clinician support or evaluation for individuals with questions, concerning symptoms, or rare complications such as incomplete abortion requiring uterine aspiration. Access to facility-based care also must remain available to support those who are unsure of their dating, are not candidates for OTC medication abortion, or desire procedural abortion.

Like that would ever happen.

Chemical abortions are not like taking vitamins. The Cleveland Clinic website providing information on this form of abortion calls it “safe,” but that is in the context of medical supervision:

You’ll meet with a healthcare provider for an evaluation. While the specific steps depend on the state where you’re having the procedure, preparation may involve:

The site also indicates when this type of abortion should not be undertaken, which a woman buying an over-the-counter abortion kit might not understand:

A medical abortion isn’t a safe option if you:

Indeed, as Senator James Lankford and Dr. Christina Vance, an OB-GYN noted here last October:

Contrary to the claims that chemical abortions are as safe as Tylenol, these pills can lead to life-threatening complications. According to the FDA’s own warning label, one in 25 women who take abortion pills will end up in the emergency room. Without consulting with a doctor, evaluations to rule out ectopic pregnancies or other serious medical conditions expose women to significant risks, complications in future pregnancies, and even death.

One need not be a doctor to recognize the utter recklessness of this proposal. Allowing over-the-counter access to abortion pills values ending pregnancies over the safety of women. It should be rejected out of hand regardless of what one thinks about the moral propriety of abortion.