Abortion Pill Awareness Rises as Safety Understanding Lags, KFF Poll Finds

Although mifepristone has been approved by the FDA for over 25 years with a longstanding safety record, public awareness of the abortion pill has increased, but the understanding of its safety remains limited, according to a new KFF Health Tracking Poll.¹ In October 2025, the FDA approved a second generic version, meaning 3 American companies now manufacture the product.² Mifepristone is 1 of 2 drugs used in medication abortion, the most common method of abortion in the United States, with mifepristone taken first, followed by misoprostol.

"Public awareness of mifepristone has risen sharply since the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the lawsuits and public scrutiny of the abortion pill that followed, increasing from 31% in January 2023 to about six in ten since then," KFF researchers wrote.¹

Voters Are Aware but Uncertain

Only 26% of adults correctly identified abortion medication as the most common abortion method in the US. Along with this knowledge gap, the poll also points to a lack of public trust in regulators and health authorities. When asked about public trust in the FDA's ability to make a science-based decision on the abortion pill's safety, 54% of respondents said they had little to no confidence.

The public was also split on the motivation behind HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's request that the FDA review the abortion pill's safety: 51% believed the request was mostly intended to make the abortion pill harder to access, while 48% believed it was mostly intended to protect women's health and safety. These findings suggest that rising awareness of mifepristone has not been matched by a comparable rise in public understanding or trust.

Perceived Risk Does Not Match Clinical Evidence

Safety remains a significant concern surrounding the abortion pill. Only 44% of adults find abortion pills safe when used as directed, while 15% consider them unsafe and 41% remain unsure. Perceptions were more favorable among women of reproductive age, 52% of whom said the pills are safe, up from 41% recorded in November 2025. Additionally, safety perceptions varied by race, with 33% of Black women saying abortion pills are safe, compared with 51% of White women, while 51% of Black women said they were unsure, compared with 35% of White women.

However, these safety concerns are not borne out by the clinical evidence. Serious complications requiring hospitalization occur in fewer than 1% of cases, and mifepristone's mortality rate is lower than that of surgical abortion and many common medications.³

Pharmacy Times^® reported that mainstream medical consensus, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Society of Family Planning, the American College of Nurse-Midwives, and major pharmacy organizations, holds that mifepristone is safe and effective and that current Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy requirements aren't supported by the evidence standards applied to comparable drugs.

Majority Oppose Restricting Abortion Pill

Shifting state laws and ongoing legal battles have made access to abortion medication increasingly complicated. Anita Allen, PhD, professor of law and philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, anticipated a legal fight in a 2023 interview with The American Journal of Managed Care®.⁴

“Polling data reveal abortion rights are supported by most Americans… The court will likely have an opportunity soon to protect access to medication abortion (via mifepristone)—now the most common form of abortion—in a case concerning efforts that began in Texas with the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v FDA, to limit access to medication abortion,” Allen said at the time. While that case was ultimately dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2024 on procedural grounds, similar legal challenges to mifepristone access have continued since.

Despite this ongoing uncertainty, KFF polling shows that 65% of adults oppose laws that would further restrict abortion medication nationwide. Similarly, 64% oppose criminalizing the mailing of abortion pills to patients in states where abortion is banned. Republicans, however, are split: 52% support a nationwide ban on the abortion pill, while 48% are opposed.¹

Trust Gap Between Parties

While abortion and abortion pills remain highly controversial, KFF polling shows that 57% of voters say it is "extremely" (27%) or "very important" (31%) for midterm candidates to discuss abortion policy. Democratic voters have consistently prioritized the issue equally regardless of whether they live in a restricted-access (40%) or accessible-access (39%) state. Republican voters, by contrast, were far less likely to prioritize it: 55% said it was only "somewhat important" (33%) or "not important" (22%) for candidates to discuss. Still, many women of reproductive age said abortion policy was "extremely" (29%) or "very important" (36%) for candidates to address.

KFF polling also asked voters which party they trust more on abortion. The Democratic Party held the edge, with 39% of voters trusting Democrats compared with 28% trusting Republicans, while 27% said they trust neither party. That advantage was strongest among women voters ages 18 to 49 (46%) and voters ages 18 to 29 (52%). Among independents specifically, Democrats held a similar edge (35% to 19%), though 41% said they trust neither party. Both parties fall well short of a majority, which is a sign that distrust of abortion cuts across party lines.

Abortion Access Now

In May 2026, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Louisiana v FDA that mifepristone must be dispensed in person, reversing the FDA regulations that allow telehealth prescribing and mail delivery. It’s the kind of legal test on medication abortion access Allen had anticipated back in 2023, even if it arrived by a different route than she expected.⁴ The Supreme Court issued an administrative stay days later, maintaining mail and telehealth access while the case continues. While mail access is currently intact, it is on a temporary stay, not a final Supreme Court ruling.⁵

References

1. Valdes I, Kearney A, Lopes L, Mulugeta M, Hamel L. KFF Health Tracking Poll: Mifepristone and the midterms. KFF. Published July 30, 2026. Accessed July 30, 2026. https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-health-tracking-poll-mifepristone-and-the-midterms/
2. Mattina C. FDA approves second generic mifepristone pill for abortion. AJMC. Published October 3, 2025. Accessed July 30, 2026. https://www.ajmc.com/view/fda-approves-second-generic-mifepristone-pill-for-abortion
3. McGovern G. FAQs on mifepristone safety, access, current legislation, and the pharmacist's role. Pharmacy Times. Published May 22, 2026. Accessed July 30, 2026. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/faqs-on-mifepristone-safety-access-current-legislation-and-the-pharmacist-s-role
4. Steinzor P. Dr Anita Allen discusses the current regulatory landscape on abortions. AJMC. October 19, 2023. Accessed August 5, 2026. https://www.ajmc.com/view/dr-anita-allen-discusses-the-current-regulatory-landscape-on-abortions
5. McCrear S. SCOTUS decides to extend telehealth access to abortion care: FAQs on preventive care and bodily autonomy. AJMC. May 15, 2026. Accessed August 5, 2026. https://www.ajmc.com/view/scotus-decides-to-extend-telehealth-access-to-abortion-care-faqs-on-preventive-care-and-bodily-autonomy