Upon his confirmation, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson promised to review the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone, marketed in the U.S. as Mifeprex, which was approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2000. But, in a recent statement to press, Thompson said, “RU 486 is not being actively reviewed now any more than any other drug is for safety.” This position contrasts with Thompson’s confirmation hearing statement in January when he said because of unspecified “safety” concerns about mifepristone a review of the drug’s approval might occur. Mifepristone is a safe, effective method of early abortion (up to 7 weeks) that has been used by over 500,000 women in Europe since 1988.
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