A Louisiana man, Jamelle Kelly, has been accused of administering the abortion drug mifepristone to a pregnant woman without her consent, leading to an emergency C-section at 23 weeks. The infant, born weighing about one pound, survived and remains hospitalized. The case has prompted Senator Bill Cassidy to call on the FDA to reinstate in-person screening requirements for the medication, according to reports from local authorities and the senator's office.

The 23-week emregency C-section that launched an investigation

Carencro Police Chief David Anderson stated that detectives discovered the victim had been given mifepristone without her knowledge or agreement late last month. She was admitted to the hospital and underwent an emergency C-section at 23 weeks of gestation. As of Friday, the infant remains hospitalized and is expected to require an extended period of care, according to the police chief.

Jamelle Kelly, 39, now faces charges of first-degree feticide and domestic abuse. The case marks the most severe alleged coercion incident since the FDA removed in-person screening requirements for abortion pills in 2023, according to local law enforcement.

Two prior Louisiana cases and the FDA rule change in 2023

The Carencro case is not an isolated incident. Since the FDA relaxed telemedicine rules for mifepristone, at least two other alleged coerced abortions have emerged in Louisiana. In one , New York physician Margaret Carpenter was charged with prescribing abortion pills to a woman who prosecutors claim coerced her teenage daughter into a medication abortion. The minor's mother obtained the drugs online and had them shipped to Louisiana.

In another case, Rosalie Markezich alleges she was pressured by her boyfriend to take abortion pills after he obtained them online using her information. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is currently litigating that case federally, arguing for reinstatement of in-person screening. last month, a federal judge allowed telehealth prescriptions to continue while the case progresses, as the source reports.

Senator Bill Cassidy's demand for the FDA to reinstate in-person visits

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a physician by training, has been vocal in his opposition to the current telehealth policy. he stated, "Men shouldn't be able to obtain this drug and coerce women into abortions." He called for the FDA to immediately reinstate the in-person visit requirement for mifepristone, asserting that "women and babies should not remain at risk while the FDA finishes its safety study," according to the source article.

Cassidy's office has been at the forefront of Senate efforts to pressure the FDA to expedite its safety review. Similar concerns have been raised by Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, who have highlighted cases in their states involving abusive male partners allegedly drugging pregnant women to induce abortion.

Who bears responsibility for coercion: the prescriber, the abuser, or the policy?

The Guttmacher Institute found that nearrly 3% of women from a nationwide sample have been "pressured, threatened, or forced" to have an abortion, as the source notes. The Louisiana cases raise unresolved questions: Can telehealth safeguards effectively prevent a third party from obtaining the drug without the patient's consent? Should online prescribers be held liable for coersion enabled by their prescriptions? And how should the FDA weigh the risk of coercion against the proven benefits of telehealth access, which has expanded care for millions of women?

Neither the FDA nor online abortion pill providers have commented on the specific allegations in Louisiana, according to the article. The case continues to unfold as the legal battle over mifepristone telemedicine access moves through the courts.