Mifepristone Medication Abortion Services at Planned Parenthood
January 31, 2008
Open Letter to Planned
Parenthood Clients From PPFA
Vice President of Medical Affairs
Vanessa Cullins, MD, MPH
At Planned Parenthood, patient safety is our number one priority. That's why we wanted to tell you about an article in today's New York Times. The article is about a company that manufactures drugs in China.
The New York Times reports that leukemia (cancer) drugs made by the company have been linked to adverse events, like paralysis, in cancer patients in China.
The article also says that in a different facility, the same company makes mifepristone, one of the drugs used in mifepristone medication abortion, also known as the abortion pill. The abortion pill is an option for women seeking abortion early in pregnancy.
As patient advocates, Planned Parenthood's number one concern is your safety. We are closely monitoring this situation to make sure we are doing everything we can to protect our patients. Planned Parenthood and the public health community are looking to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for more information about this news story.
According to the New York Times, the FDA recently inspected the facility that makes mifepristone. The FDA found no problems at the facility that makes mifepristone. The FDA said that the facility that manufactures mifepristone is not linked to the problems at the facility that makes leukemia drugs.
We know that some patients may have questions about mifepristone medication abortion as a result of this news. As a trusted reproductive health care provider, Planned Parenthood closely monitors patient experiences to ensure the highest standard of care. Our monitoring shows that mifepristone medication abortion continues to be a safe abortion option.
If you are a woman undergoing mifepristone medication abortion at a Planned Parenthood health center, you should attend your scheduled follow-up appointment and contact us if you have any questions or concerns. When choosing mifepristone medication abortion at one of our health centers, you will receive extensive education and information so you can understand what to expect and whom to contact for support with any concern, at any time — 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Planned Parenthood medical professionals are available around the clock if you need to speak with someone.
