A new YouGov poll commissioned by Americans United for Life (AUL) reveals strong public support for prioritizing patient safety in the regulation of the abortion drug mifepristone over how easily it can be accessed.
According to the survey of 1,000 adults, 68% of Americans say patient safety should take precedence over ease of access when it comes to the mifepristone, the primary drug used in chemical abortions. Additionally, 86% support requiring informed consent before prescribing mifepristone. And only four in 10 Americans believe it should be legal to ship the abortion pill across state lines, which includes states with pro-life laws.
These findings arrive amid a sharp rise in chemical abortions following the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which returned regulatory authority over abortion to the states. Abortions using primarily mifepristone and its companion drug, misoprostol, account for between 63% to 65% of all abortions in the U.S. health care system in the last recorded data, according to the Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood.
Overall abortion numbers have increased post-Dobbs, with estimates reaching around 1.13–1.14 million in recent years—an rise largely stemming from simple telehealth prescriptions and rampant mail-order distribution.
In fact, in a post-Dobbs world, pro-life advocates and lawmakers in pro-life states anticipated they would finally be empowered to enforce longstanding protections for the unborn, saving countless lives and safeguarding mothers from the physical and emotional toll of abortion. But these efforts have been undermined by surging rates of chemical abortions as they cross state lines with unprecedented ease.
The poll also highlighted notable uncertainty regarding the drug’s safety: 41% of respondents selected “Don’t Know/Not Sure” when asked how safe they believed mifepristone to be.
Pro-life organizations, however, have repeatedly pointed to reports of complications associated with the drug and have called for stronger safeguards—such as in-person medical evaluations to screen for risks like hemorrhaging, incomplete abortion and ectopic pregnancy. Advocates also argue that remote prescribing and mail delivery bypass critical opportunities for ultrasound confirmation of gestational age, ectopic pregnancy screening and follow-up care.
Moreover, the ease of obtaining mifepristone and misoprostol online or through the mail has raised the risk of coercion and non-consensual use. A recent case in Louisiana involved a father who allegedly poisoned his pregnant 17-year-old daughter with abortion pills when she was only three months away from being due. The baby was delivered and kept alive via emergency C-section, and the father was arrested. Yet this remains one of an increasing number of examples of how the abortion pill has been used maliciously.
Additionally, other recent studies have also revealed that many women admit they were not prepared for what would follow after taking the pill. According to a recent Charlotte Lozier Institute study, within the informed consent process:
- 52.5% of women said they wish they learned more about the abortion-related bleeding complications.
- 48% said pain was the complication they wish they knew more about.
- 33.7% wished they knew more about the effects on mental and emotional health.
As telehealth abortions now comprise a significant portion of procedures, several states have moved to protect women and the unborn by restricting mail-order distribution and remote prescriptions—all while others have passed shield laws protecting the very providers who ship pills across state lines.
John Mize, CEO of AUL, stated: “When the Biden administration removed in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone, they removed any guarantee that women receive informed consent. Americans predominantly agree that safety and informed consent should be the highest priority, and now we have the polling to show that the abortion pill is no exception. Increased safeguards are popular considering the risks at hand and align with the best interest of women nationwide.”
Sarah Zagorski, senior director of public relations and communications at AUL, added that since the Dobbs decision, “more than two-thirds of Americans have rejected” the notion that access matters more than safety. Even so, she added, “we still have a long way to go in educating the public on the disconnect between their beliefs and the policies that continue to leave women vulnerable.”
As chemical abortions continue to dominate the post-Dobbs landscape, the AUL/YouGov poll indicates broad public support for enhanced safety measures. Whether lawmakers respond with tighter regulations—or whether courts and the FDA continue expanding access—could shape the next chapter of America’s fight for the sanctity of life.
Bible passages to ponder amid the fight to protect life:
- Genesis 9:6
- Psalm 139:13-14
- Matthew 10:29-31
