Press Release

Dr. Verma Testifies Before the Senate on Safety of Medication Abortion

January 14, 2026

OUR STATEMENT

Today, Dr. Nisha Verma, an ob/gyn who provides care in Georgia and Massachusetts and Fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health, is testifying before the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The hearing, organized by anti-abortion policymakers, will share misinformation and disinformation about medication abortion. Dr. Verma will share her clinical and research expertise on the safety and efficacy of medication abortion, telehealth abortion care, and the real threat to patients across the country right now including abortion bans, immigration enforcement, and Medicaid cuts.

Today’s hearing will be live-streamed at 10 AM ET. 

The following statement is from Dr. Verma’s remarks to the Senators:

“As a doctor, I know that abortion care can be complicated for many people. I sit with that complexity every day, as do so many of my patients and their families. Holding space for complexity is important—but discomfort with abortion care should not be used as an excuse to distort facts.

“So, let’s talk about the facts. The fact is: the science on mifepristone’s safety and effectiveness is longstanding and settled. Over the past three decades, mifepristone has been rigorously researched and proven safe and effective in hundreds of high-quality, peer-reviewed studies for both medication abortion and miscarriage management in patients who do not pass the uterine contents on their own. To date, mifepristone has been discussed in more than 780 medical reviews and used in more than 630 published clinical trials—of which more than 420 were randomized controlled studies, the gold standard in research design. Over one hundred of those studies have specifically assessed safety… Mifepristone has a lower complication rate than many other FDA approved drugs widely available by prescription and over the counter across the United States with fewer restrictions.

“Knowing their safety and efficacy, I took these medications myself a few months ago after my husband and I experienced a devastating pregnancy loss. Luckily, in Massachusetts, we were able to obtain the medications from our local pharmacy and complete this very difficult process safely, privately, and at home. Unfortunately, for many people, unnecessary restrictions on mifepristone make this evidence-based care unavailable, and force them to undergo additional hardship during already heartbreaking experiences…

“Access to mifepristone and misoprostol keeps my patients safe and does not pose a threat to their wellbeing. However, my patients do face real, well-documented threats to their health, wellbeing, and lives. One real risk is the impact of losing access to these medications. The consequences of losing access to mifepristone will disproportionately impact my patients with low-incomes, patients of color, immigrant patients, and those who live in rural areas; the same communities already facing dangerous barriers to accessing any health care they need due to systemic barriers and denials of care…

“As a doctor, I have the immense privilege of sitting with people and their families to learn about their lives. My patients remind me every day that abortion care, pregnancy, and medicine are not isolated political issues, and I chose to be here in this room today, as challenging as it is, to honor them. I hope moving forward this committee will focus on addressing the many real, documented dangers patients face, rather than restricting access to safe, evidence-based care.”