Most Americans doubt the safety of mifepristone under current FDA guidelines, poll finds 

More than 70% of Americans believe an in-person doctor visit should be required for the prescription of mifepristone – the chemical abortion drug – according to a new poll-study, conducted in August.  

“Voters overwhelmingly agree that policies regarding chemical abortion drugs and their distribution should prioritize the health and safety of patients above anything else,” the study found.  

President Donald Trump’s praised pollster John McLaughlin, whom Trump named “one of the most highly respected in the industry,” according to The Federalist, conducted a poll on Americans’ perception of mifepristone from Aug. 16-19, 2025.  

The McLaughlin & Associates study, surveyed online 1,600 Americans – the typical size of a national pool (2.5% margin of error) – with specific parameters to “correlate with a general election turnout.” These parameters included balanced demographics regarding sex, political affiliation, geographical location, age and race.  

Although 57% of respondents reported being pro-choice and only 40% said they were pro-life, the results were overwhelmingly hesitant regarding current mifepristone guidelines. Of those surveyed, 87% said the Food and Drug Administration must “accurately report real-world impacts of the chemical abortion drug.” 

“This national survey of 1,600 likely voters reveals that voters prioritize health and safety protocols surrounding chemical abortion drugs above all other policies linked to the drugs –including accessibility,” the poll summarizes. “Voters strongly support strengthening the safety standards around chemical abortion drugs, including tightening FDA requirements, improving the transparency of possible harmful side effects and increasing the role of a doctor in the prescription and oversight of these drugs to ensure proper medical care. “ 

In addition to the in-person doctor visit, 70% of respondents said doctors should “screen for signs of coercion before prescribing mifepristone.” Many women report being coerced or tricked into taking the abortion pill, and 70% of abortions are believed to be “unwanted, coerced or inconsistent with the mother’s values and desires,” according to The Federalist. 

More than 8 in 10 Americans (81%) say no one should be able to access chemical abortion drugs online or internationally to “give them to a woman without her knowledge or consent.”  

Upon mifepristone’s first approval in 2000, the FDA required three in-person doctor visits: a pre-prescription consultation with a required exam to determine the gestational age of the baby, an in-person visit for the administration of the pills, and a post-abortion follow-up appointment. During the Biden administration, however, all these safeguards vanished under the guise of “Covid-19 policies,” allowing women to order mifepristone through the mail “without medical oversight,” The Federalist reports.  

Nearly 70% of those surveyed said the FDA should restore chemical abortion guidelines to their original design before Biden’s alterations. Respondents said requiring a doctor’s visit “does not change a woman’s right to choose,” with 74% saying the doctor can help her “make her choice safely with all of the information and care she needs.”  

Most Americans (72%) believe “big drug companies’ profits should not come before a women’s health and safety” – as companies often pressure the FDA for laxed drug guidelines.  

The survey emphasized the “significant doubts” Americans have regarding “the safety of the chemical abortion drug.” Only 16% of respondents classified mifepristone as “very safe,” while nearly 60% said the pill is “either unsafe or they don’t know.” These percentages represent the same respondents who expressed a 59% favorable view of Planned Parenthood and only 29% unfavorable view.  

According to the risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) policy of the FDA, the guidelines for a particular drug can be altered if deemed “necessary” due to the “frequency and severity of adverse events,” The Federalist reports.  

As reported by The Lion, such adverse events occur nearly 22 times more than what the FDA currently advertises. Roughly one in seven women – 13.5% – “experience at least one serious adverse event or repeated abortion attempt” within 45 days of first taking mifepristone, according to a study from The Ethics and Public Policy Center.  

While Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary both promised a review of mifepristone, the FDA recently approved a generic version of mifepristone instead of offering new guidelines regarding the safety of the drug. 

The FDA claimed that approval of a generic drug “identical to the brand-name drug” was required “by law,” but this same off-brand abortion pill was unapproved under Biden for 1,207 days, according to The Federalist.  

Despite the FDA’s obstinate claim of the safety of mifepristone, Americans seem skeptical of the pill’s parameters and protections for women, according to the recent data.  

“3 in 5 voters believe chemical abortions are ‘far more dangerous than advertised,’” Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, said in a post on X. “The science is clear & Americans agree: the abortion pill is harmful to women.”