This eBay store is selling the abortion pill, putting women in danger

The eBay account "The Women Emergency Queen" appears to be selling the generic version of the abortion pill mifepristone for $115 under the description "Women Abortion Meds," despite the fact that the drug is under a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety program that requires it be dispensed only by approved prescribers or pharmacies.

In addition to the generic abortion pill, the eBay account is also selling misoprostol, the second drug in the abortion pill regimen.

Selling abortion drugs via eBay is dangerous. The abortion pill has been found to carry significant risks to women, including incomplete abortion, hemorrhage, and infection. The ease with which it can be purchased online has led to multiple cases of forced abortion.

Key Takeaways:

• The eBay account, The Women Emergency Queen, is selling abortion drugs for $115, likely without verifying pregnancy or the identity of the buyers.

• The FDA requires that the abortion pill, mifepristone, be dispensed only by approved prescribers and pharmacies due to the significant health risks associated with it.

• This eBay account is one of many 'underground networks' selling the abortion pill and causing harm to women and girls, many of whom may be victims of forced abortions.

• Several lawsuits are challenging the Biden-era changes to abortion pill safety rules that led to the creation of these underground networks.

The Details:

The Women Emergency Queen account appears to be shipping misoprostol and mifepristone from Greenville, Mississippi, with the drugs listed under the categories of health and beauty, health care, sexual wellness, and condoms and contraceptives.

It is clear from the reviews on the seller feedback page that this eBay seller has sold either mifepristone or another item multiple times.

Mississippi abortion law

Ironically, Mississippi, where this eBay shop appears to be located, is the state at the center of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

On June 22, 2022, Mississippi's Attorney General Lynn Fitch published a bulletin with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office certifying that the U.S. Supreme Court had overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing the state's abortion-related trigger law to take effect on July 7, 2022, that would “prohibit abortions in the state of Mississippi” at any stage.

According to current Mississippi law, abortion is defined as (emphasis added) "the use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, drug or any other substance or device to terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant with an intention other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after live birth or to remove a dead fetus." The law states:

No abortion shall be performed or induced in the State of Mississippi, except in the case where necessary for the preservation of the mother's life or where the pregnancy was caused by rape.

The pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute notes that if a woman is prescribed the abortion pill in Mississippi, it "can only be provided after [an] in-person visit because [the] state requires [an] in-person exam and requires [the] first dose to be taken on-site." It also states, "Only physicians can provide abortions..."

eBay Policy

While eBay does allow some over-the-counter medicines and supplements to be sold, its policies are clear that the company prohibits the sale of prescription drugs (emphasis added):

Prescription drugs, or products containing prescription-strength medication, are not allowed. Over-the-counter medications, herbal products, vitamins and veterinary medicines must follow guidelines for listing.

Our policy aims to make sure that listings meet strict health and safety regulations.

What is the policy? Prescription drugs, or products containing prescription-strength medication, aren't allowed.

Despite these policies, certain search terms will trigger advertisements for abortion companies.

Zoom Out:

The FDA previously placed the abortion pill under a safety system called REMS, whereby the abortion pill manufacturers, Danco Laboratories, GenBioPro (GBP), and Evita Solutions are required to police prescribers to verify they are abiding by the safety requirements.

Between 2021 and 2023 under the Biden administration, the FDA loosened abortion pill safety regulations, which ensured that mifepristone be dispensed in person by a certified prescriber. These changes allowed the drug to be dispensed through the mail, leading to a wild west of unregulated online abortion pill dispensaries, like The Women Emergency Queen on eBay.

Underground networks selling the abortion pill to women, girls, and individuals wishing to secretly drug women are operating outside the law. Recently, PBS NewsHour highlighted a group of so-called "abortion doulas" who dispense abortion pills "from Illinois to Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana."

One such "abortion doula," code-named "Ashaba," showed the journalists "around her Louisiana home that will soon become a safe place where women can self-manage in abortion." It is unclear what her plan is to dispose of the children's bodies or to handle adverse events associated with the abortion pill, including incomplete abortion, hemorrhage, and infection.

A separate group, referred to as "M and E," allegedly mails abortion pills "without packaging in a plain envelope...to avoid detection."

Underground networks for abortion pills appear as states limit access

Live Action News has previously documented other illicit abortion pill networks:

• In January 2023, reports indicated that illegal "shadow networks" were utilizing fraudulent addresses, including properties listed for sale, to order abortion drugs.

• In 2022, Live Action News alerted the public to an abortion "underground" preparing for the illegal dispensing of the abortion pill.

• In May 2023, Live Action News reported on "vigilante syndicates" that appear to have unrestricted access to mainstream journalists who provide cover for their activities.

• Live Action News exposed the Las Libres syndicate, based in Mexico, which is allegedly engaged in the smuggling of abortion drugs into the U.S.

• In August 2023, an unregulated abortion supply chain was found to be storing abortion pills on a "ping-pong table" and shipping them from a basement.

"M and E" told PBS NewsHour, "We want to be like a coyote. A coyote can just survive in a worksite that is building on top of its former habitat."

PBS NewsHour added that "M and E" are aware of "the risk they and the people they're helping are taking. But, so far, there have been no known arrests in their state. They're confident in how they have built the network. They use encrypted messaging apps, get abortion pills from trusted sources."

What's Happening Now:

Three lawsuits are currently challenging the FDA’s expanded access to the abortion pill, mifepristone (200mg), and are seeking judicial enforcement of the Federal Comstock Act, which prohibits the mailing of the pills. Missouri, Kansas, and Idaho have filed a joint lawsuit that contends that the FDA’s decision to permit mail-order abortions has led to "dangerous drugs… flooding states ... and sending women in these States to the emergency room.”

A lawsuit by Florida and Texas alleges that abortion drugs harm women and girls and that the associated dangers have been "undercounted." It also states that the approval process for mifepristone was "political from the start," and mifepristone's approval failed to comply with the federal Comstock Act.

In its motion for preliminary relief, the State of Louisiana contends that the 2023 REMS changes "unlawfully remov[ed] the in-person dispensing requirement for the sole purpose of allowing out-of-state doctors to facilitate illegal mail order abortions in pro-life states like Louisiana." The State is joined by Rosalie Markezich, a Louisiana resident whose ex-boyfriend ordered the abortion pill by mail and coerced Rosalie into taking it, ending her baby’s life.

The Bottom Line:

Since being approved by the FDA, abortion pills have taken the lives of millions of preborn babies. Without enforcement of the Federal Comstock Act, the death toll of preborn children will continue to mount, and dangerous underground abortion networks will continue to operate with impunity. In addition, until the FDA rolls back abortion pill expansions and implements in-person dispensing requirements under the REMS, abuses will continue, and more women will be harmed.