Missouri's Attorney General files lawsuit against Planned Parenthood, accusing them of underestimating the potential risks associated with abortion drugs.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood, alleging that the organisation has been misleading the public about the safety of the abortion pill, mifepristone. The lawsuit claims that Planned Parenthood's assertion that mifepristone is "safer than Tylenol" is scientifically unfounded and potentially harmful.
According to the lawsuit, the emergency room visit rate for women who take the abortion pill may be higher than 5%, in contrast to Tylenol, an over-the-counter drug with a much lower risk profile in normal use. Bailey cites FDA labeling indicating up to 4.6% of mifepristone users have emergency room visits due to serious adverse events.
The lawsuit argues that Planned Parenthood's comparison is misleading because it compares a single-dose, prescribed drug to overdoses or misuse of other drugs, failing to account for differences in administration, intended use, and patient risk factors.
Independent medical experts and peer-reviewed research have also criticised the "safer than Tylenol" slogan. An international peer-reviewed article published in 2025 described it as an unfounded and dangerous oversimplification, lacking rigorous scientific investigation.
However, the FDA has historically indicated a very low (<0.5%) rate of severe adverse effects from mifepristone. Critics, including medical organisations representing thousands of professionals, argue that these FDA figures omit important real-world data such as hemorrhage rates and may underestimate serious adverse events, with some estimates suggesting rates as high as 1 in 9 women experiencing serious complications.
Planned Parenthood has not yet responded to the National News Desk's request for comment.
The lawsuit seeks $1.8 million in civil penalties from Planned Parenthood and $1,000 for every woman in Missouri who has received a medical abortion in the past five years. Bailey claims that Planned Parenthood is sharing false information about the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone and is violating consumer-protection law. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns of this risk with the drug's label.
A recent study conducted by the New York Times analysed over 100 scientific studies, concluding that medical abortions are a safe method for women seeking to terminate a pregnancy. However, Bailey references a study conducted by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, which determined that nearly 11% of women experienced a serious adverse event after more than 865,000 medical abortions.
The lawsuit comes at a time when access to abortion services is a contentious issue in the United States. It is expected that the case will attract significant attention and debate.
- The lawsuit filed by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey against Planned Parenthood alleges that the organization's claim about the safety of the abortion pill, mifepristone, being "safer than Tylenol" is scientifically unfounded and potentially harmful.
- The emergency room visit rate for women who take the abortion pill may be higher than 5%, in contrast to Tylenol, an over-the-counter drug with a much lower risk profile in normal use.
- Independent medical experts and peer-reviewed research have criticized Planned Parenthood's "safer than Tylenol" slogan, with an international peer-reviewed article published in 2025 describing it as an unfounded and dangerous oversimplification, lacking rigorous scientific investigation.
- The lawsuit between Planned Parenthood and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is expected to attract significant attention and debate, given the ongoing controversy surrounding access to abortion services in the United States.
