These stats from Hey Jane should be part of every conversation about reproductive rights.
The fight over abortion rights has only intensified since the Supreme Court officially struck down Roe v. Wade, the precedent-setting decision that had enshrined a woman’s right to choose for nearly 50 years. Contentious legislative battles over the accessibility of abortions performed by doctors are unfolding at the state level as we speak. Meanwhile, the availability of the medication mifepristone, which offers abortion through the use of a pill, is also facing uncertainty as we await a ruling from the Supreme Court on whether prescriptions should be available by mail based on telemedicine appointments.
As all of this unfolds, healthcare providers are working hard to offer women the treatment they’re legally entitled to amid a backdrop of ever-changing regulations. One of those is Hey Jane, which describes itself as a “reproductive and sexual health care haven” that’s both virtual and patient-centered. The online clinic just published fascinating new research that illustrates just how rare it is for use of the abortion pill to go wrong — and we’ll get into that in a second, but here’s a spoiler: It almost never happens.
To go deeper, we caught up with Kiki Freedman, co-founder and CEO of Hey Jane, to discuss her company’s work, what everyone should know about abortions through medication, and why it’s so reductive to call abortions “controversial.”
Katie Couric Media: How does Hey Jane work, particularly in states where abortion is banned?
Kiki Freedman: In order to receive care with Hey Jane, you just need to be in one of our eligible states for both your medication abortion consult and treatment — but you don’t need to be a resident of the state.
Getting treatment with Hey Jane is simple: First, someone seeking an abortion answers questions about their pregnancy and medical history; within one business day, one of our experienced medical providers will confirm their eligibility and prescribe the necessary medications. FDA-approved abortion pills are discreetly delivered in an unmarked box, to protect their privacy. From there, patients can start the medication abortion process when and where it’s best for them.
What sets Hey Jane apart is the level of support we offer throughout the entire process. Our dedicated clinical care team is available to patients before, during, and after their treatment — via chat, video, or phone. Whether they have questions, need emotional support, or simply want someone to talk to, we’re here for them. We also provide post-treatment follow-ups to ensure the success of the procedure and the overall well-being of our patients.
With so much back and forth about what is and isn’t allowed state to state, what is the most important thing people should know about the current laws surrounding abortion pills?
The legal landscape regarding abortion access is constantly changing. States that may have access today could restrict that access tomorrow. However, what remains clear is that access to abortion is essential.
Any current laws restricting medication abortion are not related to its safety. In fact, recent research conducted by our team at Hey Jane shows that our rate of serious adverse events (SAEs) averaged just 0.16 percent in 2022. This means that events leading to hospitalization or other serious outcomes were extremely uncommon, even compared to the national average [for similar treatment from other providers], which typically falls between 0.31 percent to 0.54 percent.
How could the potential restriction of the abortion pill mifepristone impact your business and the reproductive care industry overall?
This attack on mifepristone is yet another attempt to limit options for people seeking abortion care. It’s important to remember that although this litigation continues to spread needless confusion over access to mifepristone, nothing has changed: Patients can still access safe and effective virtual medication abortion care through clinics like Hey Jane, and mifepristone continues to be incredibly safe.
Hey Jane’s focus remains on delivering the best possible evidence-based, compassionate, patient-centered care, including providing medication abortion, which has been approved by the FDA for over 20 years and is safer than Tylenol.
Besides medication abortion, we offer birth control and emergency contraception, and treat common infections like UTIs, yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, or herpes, which would not be affected by this case.
What are you anticipating the Supreme Court could decide in its next ruling about mifepristone, and are you taking any steps now to prepare for what could happen?
It’s impossible to say what the future of reproductive health care looks like, and we urge our leaders to follow the science and do all that they can to protect this safe, effective, and commonly used option for medication abortion. However, if mifepristone is temporarily unavailable, Hey Jane will immediately switch to misoprostol-only medication abortions — which are also safe and effective.
We do know for certain that no attack on individual liberty and equity will stop healthcare providers like Hey Jane from doing all we can to provide high-quality abortion access. Our team is currently providing medication abortion and will continue to do so.
How has the recent anti-abortion rhetoric shaped your approach to providing care?
We firmly believe that access to abortion is an essential aspect of health care — and, despite attempts by some to create polarization around it, the majority of people in the United States are in agreement with us. What’s more, abortion is common: One in four people with a uterus will have an abortion in their lifetime. Rather than perpetuate this unfounded stigma around abortion, we believe there’s power in openly talking about abortion, sharing medically accurate information, and letting people know that they still have options in this post-Roe world.
We’ve also expanded our abortion fund partner program to increase access to care, with incredible organizations such as the Colorado Doula Project and New River Abortion Access Fund ensuring the cost is not a barrier.
What do you think is missing right now from the conversation about abortion?
There has been so much focus on the “controversy” of abortion that people forget that abortion isn’t controversial. The majority of Americans oppose the reversal of this approval — with 62 percent of voters opposing policies that would prevent access to medication abortion and 68 percent favoring a federal law that would ensure access to medication abortion.
Additionally, the ongoing litigation surrounding mifepristone overshadows the remarkable safety and efficacy of telemedicine medication abortion, as mentioned earlier. Even more encouraging is the consistent safety improvement trend highlighted by our data, with an even lower SAE rate of 0.10 percent observed in the first quarter of 2023, despite a notable increase in our patient volume.
These statistics underscore the outstanding record of telemedicine, establishing it as a dependable and secure option for reproductive health care. When compared to childbirth, which carries an SAE rate 13 times higher, this becomes even more evident.
With these continued attacks consuming the headlines, the progress that has been made is not getting the airtime it deserves. Several states have added protections, such as shield laws, which protect providers who provide care to those in states with restrictive abortion laws. In addition, more people than ever know that medication abortion exists — going from 27 percent the week after the Dobbs decision leak to 33 percent earlier this year. We hope that more people use their platform to spread accurate information about this vital option.
