FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box: 21161
2300 18th St NW Lbby
Washington, DC 20009-9996
January 12, 2026
Senate HELP Committee Hearing on Medication Abortion
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Doctors for America (DFA) strongly condemns the U.S. Senate HELP Committee’s January 14 hearing on medication abortion, which is being falsely framed as a “safety” review while relying on misleading claims and discredited science to undermine evidence-based care.
Medication abortion, using mifepristone and misoprostol, has been FDA-approved for more than two decades and is supported by a robust body of high-quality scientific evidence. It is one of the most extensively studied medications in U.S. history and is widely recognized by leading medical organizations as essential to comprehensive reproductive health care.
“As an obstetrician-gynecologist, I know that abortion is safer than pregnancy, and that medication abortion is safer and is evidence-based care. When politics interfere with medical care, it only increases the risk of maternal and infant mortality. This is already evident in the data showing the United States’ alarming maternal health outcomes compared to other developed countries. Politicians should stay out of the exam room and let women get the care they are entitled to,” said Dr. Anita Somani.
Today, medication abortion is not a niche form of care — it is the most common way abortion is provided in the United States. In 2023, 63% of all U.S. abortions were medication abortions, more than double the proportion in 2014. Nearly 60% of abortions in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy now use this method. When patients are denied access to FDA-approved abortion care, some are forced to turn to unsafe or unproven methods, including herbal preparations or physical trauma, which have been associated with serious injury, and death. Misinformation about medication abortion puts patients at real risk by driving them away from safe, regulated medical care.
The shift toward medication abortion reflects patient preference, clinical effectiveness, and the expansion of evidence-based care models, such as telehealth. Extensive research has also shown that telehealth medication abortion, including care provided without routine in-person testing and mailing of medication, is just as safe and effective as in-person care.
Telehealth has become especially critical as the United States faces a growing crisis in access to obstetric and gynecologic care. Many rural Southern communities are now maternal care deserts, where patients must travel hours to see an OB-GYN or receive prenatal care. Hospital closures, workforce shortages, and cuts to Medicaid have left many patients without meaningful access to reproductive health services, and Telehealth medication abortion allows patients without transportation, insurance, or nearby providers to receive timely, medically appropriate care.
Recent claims in the hearing that medication abortion is being widely misused or coerced are not supported by evidence. Isolated cases of criminal behavior should be addressed through law enforcement, not by restricting safe, FDA-approved medications. Further, shield laws exist to protect clinicians providing lawful care, not to enable abuse.
The FDA’s decisions regarding mifepristone, including allowing pharmacy and telehealth dispensing, were grounded in rigorous scientific review. This hearing represents an effort to relitigate science-based regulatory decisions and to elevate ideology over evidence, eroding public trust in the FDA and in medicine more broadly.
Restricting medication abortion would not make patients safer, it would delay care, increase medical risk, and disproportionately harm people who already face barriers to health care, including those in rural areas, people with low incomes, and those experiencing miscarriage or pregnancy complications.
Doctors for America calls on lawmakers to respect the integrity of the FDA, the expertise of physicians, and the scientific consensus. Health policy must be guided by evidence, not political agendas.
We stand with patients and clinicians across the country in affirming that access to safe, FDA-approved medication abortion is a fundamental component of high-quality, patient-centered health care.
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About Doctors for America
Doctors for America (DFA) is a national nonprofit that mobilizes over 40,000 physicians and medical trainees to advocate for policies that improve the health of patients and communities. Through advocacy training and action at the state and federal levels, DFA works to expand access to affordable care, strengthen community health and prevention efforts, and advance health justice and equity. We do not accept funding from pharmaceutical, insurance, or for-profit health care entities, ensuring our work remains fiercely independent and patient-centered. DFA puts patients over politics—and over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.