A groundbreaking new study is shaking up the abortion debate—not by rehashing old moral arguments, but by exposing a public health crisis Big Pharma and the federal government allegedly tried to hide.

According to the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), women taking mifepristone—the abortion drug responsible for nearly two-thirds of all U.S. abortions—are suffering serious complications at rates 22 times higher than what the FDA and abortion pill manufacturers have reported. The study, based on 330 million insurance claims and 850,000 abortion cases, is the largest of its kind.

The data is staggering: nearly 11% of women suffered serious or life-threatening medical events within 45 days of taking the drug. These included sepsis, hemorrhaging, blood transfusions, infections, and surgeries. That’s roughly one in nine women—far from the 0.5% complication rate touted by drug companies and abortion advocates.

For pro-life leaders and public health advocates, these findings are a five-alarm fire.

“What other FDA-approved drug would remain on the market with this high a rate of serious adverse events?” asked Bob Vander Plaats, who called on federal leaders to reinstate the safety protocols gutted under the Obama and Biden administrations.

Indeed, starting with Barack Obama and continuing through Joe Biden’s presidency, the FDA gradually stripped away core protections—like requiring in-person doctor visits and adverse event tracking—for mifepristone distribution. The result? An abortion drug often mailed across state lines without oversight, doctor supervision, or proper follow-up care.

This is not a “states’ rights” issue, the report argues. Even in states like Texas that have passed strict laws to protect unborn life and expectant mothers, abortion pills are being shipped in illegally from liberal strongholds like California, effectively undermining the will of voters in other states.

“If just one aggressively pro-abortion state is allowed to ship abortion pills nationwide, women across all 50 states remain at risk—even if the other 49 legislatures vote to protect them,” the report warns.

That’s why Vander Plaats and other national pro-life leaders are calling on President Trump to act. In a letter to the president, they demanded the restoration of original safety guidelines and a full re-evaluation of mifepristone’s FDA approval. They’re also pressing 2026 and 2028 candidates to take a public stance on whether they will treat this as a federal crisis, not just a state-level issue.

The FDA’s credibility is also on the line. The EPPC study revealed that the federal government based its safety claims on outdated trials—some over 40 years old—using just 31,000 subjects, most of them healthy and under close medical supervision. That’s a far cry from the messy, real-world conditions where women now often take these drugs alone, with no medical backup and no idea of the risks.

For Vander Plaats and others, it’s not just about politics—it’s about truth.

“Regardless of opinions on abortion, all Americans should agree on this: Women have a right to accurate information about the drugs they take,” he wrote.

Yet for years, abortion advocates and media allies have sold the pill as “safe, simple, and routine.” Now, with over 850,000 cases examined and a significant percentage ending in severe complications, the narrative is falling apart—and it’s women who are paying the price.

This isn’t just about the unborn. It’s about protecting the health and dignity of the women who are being misled. And in light of this damning new data, federal leaders have a choice to make: step in and protect women, or continue allowing a dangerous drug to circulate unchecked.