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Many Colleges Won’t Offer Mifepristone

Increasing numbers of colleges and universities are announcing that their campus health centers will not prescribe mifepristone, the abortion pill recently approved by the FDA. Currently, most university health centers do not perform surgical abortions; mifepristone could greatly improve young women’s access to abortion, since it does not have to be administered by a doctor trained in surgical abortion. The FDA requires that any facility prescribing mifepristone be able to make arrangements for surgical back-up referral in the few instances when the drug fails to complete an abortion. Many college health centers could meet those requirements. However, colleges and universities are rejecting mifepristone not only because of the lack of medical facilities that meet FDA requirements, but simply because the pill offers a form of abortion. The decision has prompted strong responses from pro-choice student activists, who are pushing for access to this breakthrough drug.

Sources:

Associated Press _ October 24, 2000

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