The Abortion Pill and the FDA

The FDA has announced it is investigating the safety of RU-486, the abortion pill, because of two recent deaths potentially related to its use. Some abortion opponents have suggested taking the drug off the market pending the review, while others have suggested banning RU-486 entirely.

Whether the two recent deaths merit investigation is unclear. The number of U.S. deaths attributable to RU-486 is seven over a period of six years, hardly an epidemic. And any reasonable assessment must acknowledge that surgical abortion and pregnancy carry risks as well.

In addition, the possibility of adverse side-effects is not sufficient reason to remove RU-486 from the market. Many medications carry serious risks, including death, yet they remain legal because their beneficial effects outweigh the negatives. If RU-486 has greater risks than previously recognized, the right response is to provide this information to doctors and patients.

This incident does illustrate the unintended side-effects of government intervention. If the FDA did not regulate which drugs can be sold legally, interest groups would have a harder time politicizing the availability of RU-486.