“Ohio Right to Life is proud to see this vital piece of pro-life and pro-woman legislation pass out of the Ohio House,” says Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life. “It is past time for the abortion industry to be held accountable for their blatant disregard for patient safety and human life. For years, Planned Parenthood and their abortion allies have pushed unsafe telemedicine abortions to pad their bottom line. They’ve done this at the expense of vulnerable women. Women who are left to deal with the serious and even fatal consequences of chemical abortion alone and in some cases hours away from the physician who provided the drugs. This prioritization of profits over patient safety is unacceptable.”

Historically, Mifeprex, which comprises the first pill in the abortion pill regimen, has been highly regulated by the FDA, to the extent that they have imposed special safety requirements called Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) on the drug to reduce patient risk. Between 2012 to 2018 alone, the FDA recorded 4,195 adverse events from Mifeprex nationally. Twenty-four women have died from Mifeprex since it was first introduced in the U.S. in 2000. 

“Although every successful abortion is a tragedy which results in the ending of a human life,” says Senator Steve Huffman, “abortions committed through telemedicine have the potential to add one tragedy to another by subjecting women to dangerous abortions-inducing drugs without providing basic health and safety standards. Planned Parenthood may consider the financial boost of telemedicine abortion worth the very real risk to women’s lives, but as a physician, I certainly do not.” 

Ohio Right to Life thanks bill sponsor Senator Steve Huffman, Chairman Scott Lipps and Speaker Bob Cupp for their pro-life leadership and looks forward seeing the Telemedicine Abortion Ban signed into law by Governor DeWine.