The US government has claimed that some types of contraception are “abortifacient” – drugs that cause abortion. That’s simply not true.
An abortifacient is a medication that ends an existing pregnancy, like the medical abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol. Contraception, on the other hand, prevents pregnancy – it doesn’t end it. This includes methods like the pill, IUDs, implants, condoms, vasectomies, and the morning-after pill.
By calling contraception “abortifacient,” US officials are spreading deliberate disinformation designed to confuse the public and undermine reproductive rights. Shockingly, they’ve even announced plans to destroy $10 million worth of donated contraceptives that would have supported women around the world.
This kind of rhetoric is dangerous. It fuels stigma and restricts access to essential healthcare.
And it spreads fast: we’re already receiving reports from our country programmes that other governments are starting to question the definition of abortifacients.
At MSI, we believe everyone deserves the freedom to choose – whether to use contraception or have an abortion, safely, confidently, and without shame. We’ll keep standing up for that right.
