Repro Roundup: A new online pharmacy provides abortion medication to patients without an in-clinic appointment

Welcome to my column, The Repro Roundup, where I summarize abortion news happening around the country, why it matters, and what you can do about it — in 250 words or less.

What’s the issue? The fight for expanded access to medication-induced abortion has taken on a new life since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The ability for a person to manage their own abortion without having to enter an abortion clinic is crucial for folks who cannot risk entering a medical facility or can’t make it to one in the first place.

A new, HIPAA-accredited online pharmacy, Honeybee Health, has begun stocking and sending misoprostol, a medication necessary for inducing abortion, through the US Mail. Patients can meet with an abortion provider via telehealth and with a new, no-test protocol that has recently been made legal which no longer requires some women to obtain ultrasounds or blood-tests necessary to confirm pregnancy. Then, providers prescribe abortion medications and send the RX right to Honeybee, where the patient can then buy the medication at a low-cost.

Why does this matter? Previously, the politically motivated FDA has necessitated that people seeking abortion care enter a clinic to obtain abortion medications like Mifepristone, even though self-managing an abortion at home is extremely safe (safer than Tylenol, Viagra, and penicillin). This meant that many women bought abortion medications from other countries where it is common and cheap to buy. However, long shipping times often delayed when a person could take the medications. Now, clinics can offer more telehealth options for folks who are historically marginalized by the medical system and people can have an abortion without needing to leave their home.

How can I take action?

• Learn more about self-managed abortion and why it’s a safe and reliable option at Plan C
• Become an Ambassador of Information with Plan C to bust abortion stigma, learn about abortion medication, and more
• Call or text the miscarriage and abortion hotline if you need support before, during, or after either a miscarriage or abortion
• Read about how the Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to reinstate the in-clinic requirements for obtaining abortion medication
• Read the statement from the National Women’s Health Network and signed by 80+ orgs urging the FDA to lift the in-person clinic requirements from earlier this year. Read the full letter to the FDA.

• Subscribe to The Repro Queen of DC, my monthly newsletter on abortion access, activism, and writing on the frontlines of DC.
• Subscribe to Repro 101, a seven-week educational email series about all things repro. Topics include the basics of funding abortion, clinic escorting, anti-choice violence, and more.