New Iowa bill would ban abortion pill, sparking backlash

Republican proposes bill to effectively end 74% of abortions in Iowa by banning a pill that’s safer than penicillin and Viagra.

Seventy-four percent. That’s how many abortions in Iowa are medication abortions. The national rate is 63%.

Now some Republican lawmakers want to take the medication abortion option away from Iowa residents.

Medication abortion is a prescription drug combo that can be taken up to 11 weeks after the first day of a woman’s last period to end a pregnancy. One pill blocks progesterone—the hormone that supports a pregnancy. The other causes cramping that empties the uterus. It’s safer than penicillin and Viagra. 

Iowa state Rep. Jeff Shipley (R-Van Buren) recently introduced House File 423, a bill that would prohibit the manufacturing, distribution, prescription, dispensing, or sale of abortion drugs—specifically mifepristone, mifegyne, and mifeprex. Under this proposed legislation, medical providers who distribute mifepristone could face felony charges, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $13,000.

The bill does clarify that women using the drugs will not face penalties—Iowans just won’t be able to get the medication within state lines. 

Beyond abortion, mifepristone has multiple uses in women’s reproductive health care, including treating endometriosis and fibroids, and inducing labor. 

Critics of the new bill, including Democratic lawmakers and reproductive rights advocates, have voiced strong opposition, citing the potential impact it could have on health care access in Iowa. They argue that such legislation could lead to increased health risks for women and infringe upon personal medical decisions.

Mazie Stilwell, public affairs director for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa, criticized the bill as a “calculated attack on safe and legal abortion.” She said in a statement, “It is cruel for politicians to make medication abortion so difficult to access that women are forced to have procedural abortions or carry a pregnancy to term.” Stilwell emphasized that Iowans “deserve to control their bodies and futures and have the freedom to make personal medical decisions.” 

The bill now heads to the House Health and Human Services Committee, where the bill will either be discussed and sent to the House floor for a vote, or it will be tabled.