As of 2025, there were no Environmental Protection Agency–approved analytical methods for detecting the abortion drug mifepristone and its active metabolites in wastewater.
October 10, 2025
high
technical
Regulatory approval is required for standardized environmental monitoring methods used by or referenced by the EPA.
As of 2025, medication abortion (using abortion pills such as mifepristone) accounted for over 50 percent of abortions and is typically administered at home during the first ten weeks of pregnancy.
October 10, 2025
high
statistical
Medication abortion is a common method of terminating early pregnancy and is generally used in outpatient/home settings within the first trimester.