A strong majority of Americans of all political stripes support restoring regulations surrounding the abortion drug mifepristone, according to a new survey. A poll conducted by CRC Research found that more than two-thirds (67%) of Americans would support a decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require an in-person physician’s visit when prescribing and dispensing the abortion drug mifepristone. Over 70% of Republicans would support the move, along with a strong majority of both Independent voters (68%) and Democrats (63%). Only 27% of survey respondents said that they would oppose such a move from the FDA.

When the abortion drug was first approved by the FDA in 2000, it was regulated by a number of guidelines, including required physicians’ visits before the drug could be prescribed, a requirement that the drug be dispensed and consumed in-person, and mandatory follow-up visits with a doctor. Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden weakened many of those safeguards in 2016 and in 2021, respectively, no longer mandating that the drug be prescribed or dispensed in-person and eliminating the previously-required physician’s visits. At present, the abortion drug can be prescribed remotely and shipped across the nation through the mail. No follow-up appointments are required to address serious and life-threatening complications.

In comments to The Washington Stand, Mary Szoch, director of the Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council, shared, “It’s not shocking that the majority of Americans don’t want a woman to be alone in her dorm room or bathroom delivering her visibly recognizable unborn child and then determining whether the excruciating pain she’s experiencing and massive amounts of blood she’s seeing are ‘normal’ or life threatening.” She added, “This scene is something out of a horror movie, but sadly it is a reality for many of the mifepristone abortions that take place.”

“Federal law prohibits sending abortion inducing drugs through the mail — and this data shows that this law is overwhelmingly popular,” Szoch continued. “The Trump administration has done such an amazing job enforcing the laws on the books and restoring order to American society — especially in cases where lives are ruined by illegal drugs. It’s time they did it for drugs intended to kill unborn children too.”

CRC Research found that 70% of Americans also favored restoring safeguards requiring in-person doctors’ visits both before and after the abortion drug could be prescribed; support for the measure increased significantly after survey respondents were informed that some men have obtained the abortion drug remotely and forced or coerced pregnant women into taking the drug. Additionally, nearly half (49%) of respondents said that they would be less likely to support their elected representative if that representative supported the prescribing and dispensing of the abortion drug without a prior medical evaluation. Only 29% — Democrats and self-identified liberals — said that they would be more likely to support a representative who endorsed the prescribing and dispensing of mifepristone without a prior medical evaluation, while 21% said the policy would make no difference.

A previous study conducted by the polling firm Cygnal warned that a weakening of the GOP’s opposition to mifepristone would likely discourage Republican midterm voters and could hand the Democrats a significant victory. Over 70% of Republican voters polled wanted stricter regulations surrounding the prescription and dispensing of mifepristone, 80% wanted the FDA to restore in-person requirements for the prescribing and dispensing of mifepristone, 71% opposed allowing the abortion drug to be prescribed remotely and mailed, 74% said that allowing mifepristone to be mailed across state lines undermines red states with pro-life laws in place, and 72% opposed the FDA’s approval of a generic version of mifepristone.

If the GOP allows mifepristone to go unregulated, Cygnal warned, nearly one-third (32%) of Republican voters would be less likely to vote in November’s midterm elections, including 40% identified as the “most engaged” GOP voters, and more than one-third (34%) said that they will be less likely to volunteer or campaign for Republican incumbents or candidates.