Jessie Balmert

jbalmert@enquirer.com

COLUMBUS — After years of restrictions, abortions just became more accessible in Ohio.

On Wednesday, U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials relaxed guidelines on how to prescribe an abortion pill, called Mifeprex, that made the option costly and time-consuming in Ohio. Many Ohio doctors had abandoned the abortion pill as an outdated, expensive option after state lawmakers required physicians to follow FDA directions for its use, which required extra office visits.

"It’s just not an abortion that many people were able to choose because of travel requirements," said Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio. "More women were choosing surgical over medication who might have preferred medical."

Ohio is one of a few states, including Texas and North Dakota, that requires doctors to follow FDA guidelines. Doctors elsewhere adapted to best practices for the abortion pill that were more lax and affordable.

State lawmakers passed the requirement to follow FDA guidelines in 2004, but it didn't take effect until 2011 because of a court order. Between 2010 and 2011, medical abortions dropped dramatically from 5,862 to 1,234, according to state health department records. Non-surgical abortions, including the abortion pill, comprised 5 percent of all procedures in 2014 compared to 13.2 percent in 2004.

But abortion advocates say the new FDA guidelines could reverse that trend. The changes allow women to take a much smaller dose and permit the medication to be used 70 days into pregnancies instead of 49 days. That would reduce the cost and number of visits for a medication abortion, Copeland said.

Women's Med in Sharonville, which ceased surgical abortion in 2014 after losing a legal battle with the state,still provides medication abortions. But it has used methotrexate injections rather than the abortion pill because administering Mifeprex according to FDA guidelines was too expensive and time-consuming, said Dr. Martin Haskell, the owner. The FDA decision gives Haskell another cost-effective alternative for abortions — one he said he will consider offering to patients.

Planned Parenthood's Mount Auburn clinic never stopped offering the abortion pill, even with its limitations, but the new regulations should make it a more accessible option, spokeswoman Danielle Craig said.

“The FDA’s announcement is a significant step forward for science and women’s health. It means that health care providers can provide medication abortion according to the highest standard of care established after more than 15 years of research and experience,” said Jerry Lawson, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio.

But will Ohio lawmakers try to upend the FDA's update? Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life, said that's unlikely to pass. But he still isn't pleased that the FDA approved greater access to an abortion pill that has risk factors such as heavy bleeding, nausea, chills and vomiting.

"The tragedy is that the FDA just allowed three additional weeks for women and their babies to be placed in harm's way," Gonidakis said.