A pro-life group has introduced an online map to document instances where individuals are, in some cases, coercing or misleading pregnant women into taking abortion pills.
Sean Carney, CEO of 40 Days for Life, pointed out that a database tracking these cases, both in the U.S. and elsewhere, indicates a rise in instances where men are providing abortion pills to pregnant women. He shared this information with a magazine.
“We’ve only really noticed this trend since the significant reduction in regulations surrounding abortion pills,” Carney told the publication. “It’s alarming—some men have even placed abortion pills in food like blueberry pancakes or smoothies.”
“It feels like there’s some sort of protection around these individuals, as we refer to them. But, I suppose this is just a side effect of increased access to abortion,” he added.
Carney was discussing the deregulation of mifepristone, which has been part of abortion medication since its initial use under the Obama and Biden years. In 2021, the Biden administration allowed abortion pills to be accessed through telehealth and sent via mail.
After the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in the Dobbs case, which reversed the federally protected right to abortion, the number of medication abortions surged to make up about two-thirds of all abortions. Additionally, states controlled by Democrats have begun enacting laws that provide legal safeguards for abortion providers sending pills to states where the process is prohibited.
“No one seriously pushed for this broad deregulation of abortion drugs—we really have no clue how they’ll be used or who they’ll end up with,” Carney said. “Now, we’re observing how some women are being exploited, and it’s frankly heartbreaking.”
This map tracks both completed cases and ongoing investigations. One notable example is a case involving an Ohio doctor accused of using his estranged wife’s identity to obtain abortion pills online and forcing them on his pregnant mistress, leading to the loss of her unborn child.
Kelsey Pritchard, the communications director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, mentioned that the Biden administration’s policies enable the mailing of abortion pills with minimal medical oversight.
“This has contributed to what we now see as a nationwide public health crisis,” she stated. “Women are left to navigate their own abortions, which often leads to severe complications. It’s clear that abusers are taking advantage of this system.”
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, led by Republicans, held a hearing last week focusing on abortion pills and the implications of the Biden administration’s mail-order policy. They are urging the Food and Drug Administration to return to requiring in-person distribution of these medications.
