Welcome to the second post from Power in Our Hands: Abortion Pills Demystified. In this resource, we discuss misoprostol and mifepristone, the two medications often used for abortions with pills.
Find our first post and other resources we’ve shared on the Power in Our Hands page.
Together, Anything is Possible.
Abortion funds are rooted in the power of community care networks and collective action. Weaponizing the FDA’s regulatory process to restrict mifepristone and calls to revive the Comstock Act are rooted in shame, stigma, and a desire to control and criminalize pregnant people’s decisions.
Reproductive liberation means valuing care above punishment. Everyone deserves to choose the abortion methods and support that work best for them. Keep reading to learn how communities have helped each other with self-managed abortion. Discover the part we each play when co-creating the future we deserve: One that provides safety and support for all.
Don’t let fear-mongering and isolation stop us.
Abortion Pills: Demystified.
Did you know: Black women in Brazil were the first to use misoprostol for abortion. Black and Indigenous Brazilians face a much higher number of abortion-related complications and deaths than white Brazilians. So, women took power into their own hands and found a safe way to end their pregnancies.
With the right dose, misoprostol by itself can be 85 – 95% effective for abortions. It may have more temporary symptoms when used alone, but it is still very safe and widely used around the world. Plus, misoprostol (also known as Cytotec) is typically available over the counter internationally.”
Brazil isn’t the only place where gaps in access across racial lines persist. Unfortunately, this problem exists worldwide. This is why it’s vital to build collective knowledge and community care networks.
The discovery by these women of the multiple uses of misoprostol changed abortion access globally. And today, Brazilians continue to organize mutual aid and advocate to decriminalize abortion nationwide, despite facing one of the strictest abortion bans in the world.
Self-Managed Abortion is an Act of Bodily Autonomy.
Managing our own abortions puts care in our hands.
It means folks can have abortions outside formal medical institutions and away from state surveillance and government officials. Both have a long history and ongoing record of punishing poor, Black, brown, disabled, and queer and trans communities.
In the U.S., most abortions with pills involve combining two medicines together, mifepristone and misoprostol. This two-medication method is 99% effective and supported by decades of research and hundreds of scientific studies. Anti-abortion extremists have tried to restrict and revoke access to mifepristone. But their efforts are based on politics, not science or safety. They are trying to control our reproduction and bodies. Everyone deserves to make their own decisions about their reproductive lives without barriers and without fear of criminalization.
We will keep fighting for abortion access and reproductive freedom!
We Got Us. No Matter Where.
Our histories of collective action and survival on a global scale, our movement ancestors, and our spirits connect us. Together, we strengthen our network of care and keep each other safe.
- Support local care networks: Donate to an abortion fund near you.
- Explore & Listen: Get resources about what to expect with a self-managed abortion. Listen to people’s experiences.
- Stay informed & supported: Save these affirmations and tools made by, with, and for people managing their own abortions.
Next in the Power in Our Hands series, we’ll get into punishment and policing in America. We’ll look at the power hierarchies these systems maintain and explore how we’ll defeat criminalization by building community care and safety together.
Meet us in your inbox—or on the Power in Our Hands page! Keep learning with us.