Everybody's talking about abortion pills

Millions of people around the world have had medication abortions for more than 20 years, but the US public hasn't paid all that much attention to it. That all changed in 2016 with the election of an administration that made it clear it intended to take away access to both abortion and contraception. Suddenly, everyone from fashion magazines to America's leading educational museum was talking about the abortion pill. But you know something has really made it into the mainstream when it gets a shout out in People – you know, that magazine you can find at every supermarket checkout stand, every gas station, every waiting room, and every doctor's office just about everywhere.

It's actually a great article. It explains what abortion pills are, how they work, how much they cost, what the experience of using them is like, and how you know if they worked. It even points out that the abortion pill is not the same as the morning-after pill – and you know how strongly we feel about making sure people understand that!

The one thing the article doesn't discuss is the reality that someone who wants to end a pregnancy may also have good reasons not to go to a health care provider. Maybe they can't get to a clinic, or can't afford to. Maybe they've had a bad experience that's made them cautious of medical professionals. Maybe they just prefer self-managed abortions.

Someone who decides to get misoprostol and mifepristone outside the standard medical channels still needs – and deserves! – to know how to use it safely. That's why we have a website full of information at abortionpillinfo.org where people (even people who read People!) can get answers to all of their questions about abortions with pills. Check it out…and keep sharing the information!