Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin of New Jersey has joined 19 other state attorneys general in a joint statement regarding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) review of mifepristone, a medication commonly used for early-term abortion care and miscarriage management. The FDA review was prompted by a letter from Republican state attorneys general requesting restrictions or removal of mifepristone from the market.
The joint statement reads: “For more than 25 years, mifepristone has been used safely and effectively in the United States and globally. It is currently the most common method for early-term abortion care in the United States and is the standard of care for managing early miscarriage. The decision to reexamine access to this medication was made in response to a scientifically baseless letter and ignores that proves mifepristone is safe and effective. Medical decisions should be left between patients, their families, and their providers – and they should be guided by science, not political agendas.
“As state attorneys general, we have a responsibility to enforce state laws and protect our residents, including their access to reproductive care. If access to mifepristone is challenged, we will take action to protect it.”
New Jersey has taken several steps aimed at protecting access to medication abortion. Earlier this year, Attorney General Platkin joined other attorneys general urging the FDA to remove what they described as unnecessary restrictions on mifepristone that do not significantly improve patient safety but may limit access.
These efforts are part of New Jersey’s broader commitment to reproductive rights. State law recognizes abortion as a fundamental right. Attorney General Platkin has worked on various initiatives supporting reproductive health care access in New Jersey, such as establishing a Reproductive Rights Strike Force within the Department of Law and Public Safety, collaborating with other states’ attorneys general on compliance with federal requirements for emergency abortion care at hospitals, and supporting legislation expanding hormonal contraceptive access.
Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont,and Washington also signed onto this statement.
