Headline: How Mifepristone Became My Lifesaver
Roxanne Jones, a pioneering editor of ESPN The Magazine and an experienced journalist with the New York Daily News and The Philadelphia Inquirer, has a personal connection to the recent decision by a Texas judge to suspend the FDA's approval of a drug commonly used for medication abortions. The drug in question, mifepristone, was instrumental in saving her life during a miscarriage years ago.
At the time Jones was prescribed mifepristone, the drug had not yet become a focal point in the US abortion debates. She did not face the hurdles many women currently encounter, such as crossing state lines or resorting to clandestine means to obtain the drug due to restrictive abortion laws or near-total abortion bans in many states.
Mifepristone, along with misoprostol (which was not included in the Texas judge's ruling), are the two drugs that form a medication abortion. They can be used to terminate a pregnancy when the fetus isn't viable, such as in instances of miscarriage.
Jones recalls the traumatic experience of hemorrhaging during her first trimester, leading to a rapid drop in her blood pressure and the heartbreaking realization of a miscarriage. Mifepristone wasn't part of her routine medical care, but in the face of a dire medical emergency, the drug played a crucial role in saving her life.
Despite being a healthy woman who had previously enjoyed a problem-free pregnancy, Jones found herself facing the harsh reality that affects many black women. Miscarriage rates are disproportionately high among black women, with the risk of miscarriage being 43% higher for black women compared to white women, as per an analysis of 4.6 million pregnancies in seven countries.
In the face of such devastating loss, societal pressures often condition women, particularly within the black community, to suffer in silence and continue with their lives amidst the threat of healthcare risks, societal injustices, and other stressors.
During her miscarriage, Jones was a woman in desperate need of safe, emergency medical care. Mifepristone granted her the dignity she needed during that difficult time, a dignity that she argues every woman deserves, regardless of whether they're experiencing a miscarriage or seeking an abortion.
Jones' experience has taught her that access to necessary medication and counseling, including mifepristone, is essential for women to heal. She argues against the criminalization of women by politicians and punitive reproductive laws, citing that over 61% of US adults believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to the Pew Research Center.
A recent move by the US Justice Department asking the Supreme Court to intervene resulted in Justice Samuel Alito issuing a temporary order to maintain the status quo, ensuring access to mifepristone while the justices further study the issue.
Jones urges the justices to focus on the scientific evidence attesting to the safety of mifepristone, a synthetic steroid considered safer than common prescription drugs like penicillin and Viagra. She believes that regardless of views on abortion, the drug's safety record in assisting women with miscarriage complications should not be overlooked.
The outcome of the legal battle over medication abortion remains uncertain. However, women across the country, irrespective of their political affiliations, are keeping a close eye on the developments. Laws like the one recently signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, which criminalize reproductive care providers and strip women of rights men often take for granted, are a cause for concern.
Jones remains hopeful that with their voices or their votes, women will ultimately have the last word in this critical issue.