One benefit of being an AAPLOG dues-paying member is free access to the biannual peer-reviewed journal Issues in Law & Medicine (ILM), now fully digital. We want to highlight the latest issue of this publication, which came out in Spring 2023. It is accessible to all dues-paying members via our member website. Here are the abstracts of two important articles in this issue:
The Safety of Self-managed Abortion: A Dearth of Good-quality Evidence and a Wealth of Misrepresentation by Calum Miller, M.D.
Self-managed abortion has been particularly prominent in recent discussions of abortion, with the rise of telemedicine abortion during the COVID-19 pandemic and the reality of self-managed illegal abortion in pro-life states following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. There has likewise been much political concern about misinformation and fake news circulated in the media. This article highlights how misinformation and poor-quality studies have been used to make implausible claims regarding the safety of telemedicine and the number of deaths from unsafe abortion where abortion is illegal. This puts women’s health and lives at risk by authorizing unsafe medical practice and poorly evidenced policy decisions regarding abortion and emergency obstetric care.
Chemical Abortions: With and Without Medical Supervision by the American College of Pediatricians
Chemical abortions, otherwise known as “medication-induced” abortions, were approved by the FDA in September 2000, and now account for over 50% of abortions in the United States. Women are being encouraged to order and carry out their own abortion, without in-person supervision by health care professionals, contributing to increased risks of complications. This paper describes the use of synthetic chemicals to induce abortion and the complications faced by women who obtain care in a medical setting, including hemorrhage and incomplete abortions that may require surgical intervention. Additionally, it describes the increased risks for those women who use telemedicine or the Internet to obtain their chemical abortion, especially when those abortions are completed without physician supervision (self-managed). The risks may include an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy, increased complications due to underestimated or understated gestational age, Rh isoimmunization, and undiagnosed infection. Intimate partner violence, reproductive coercion, and human trafficking are also less likely to be suspected in the absence of an in-person medical evaluation. The American College of Pediatricians strongly encourages health care professionals, policy makers, and women of all ages and their families to understand the serious risks associated with chemical abortions, especially when self-managed. Additionally, pregnant women with regrets after starting chemical abortions need to be informed about the potential for abortion pill reversal.
To become a dues-paying member and access these articles, go to www.aaplog.org/join and select the membership tier you want. The Fall 2023 issue of ILM is coming soon; you don’t want to miss that!
