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In 2000, the FDA approved RU 486 (also called mifepristone, non-surgical abortion, or medical abortion), giving women a non-surgical option to terminate an unintended pregnancy. Access to mifepristone gives women even more reproductive-health choices.
RU 486 is extremely safe:
- It has been in use worldwide for approximately two decades and is available in 36 countries.
- Ninety-nine percent of women who have used the drug have not reported any negative reaction.
- RU 486's record of safety compares favorably to that of almost any other medication. The number of adverse reactions associated with mifepristone are far fewer, for example, than for Viagra or Claritin.
- Learn more by reading our fact sheet, Mifepristone Is a Safe Choice, describing the safety of mifepristone in comparison with other medications.
Although millions of women worldwide have safely used mifepristone since 1981, anti-choice lawmakers and groups at the state and federal levels are doing everything they can to make it more difficult to access – and even to outlaw it altogether. Learn more by reading our fact sheets:
Mifepristone should not be confused with emergency contraception, also known as the "morning-after" pill, a method of birth control that prevents pregnancy.
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