Young Democratic Socialists of America at the University of Oregon and allied campus groups are actively campaigning for on-campus distribution of abortion medications, including mifepristone and misoprostol, at the public university in Eugene, Oregon. The effort includes a petition with over a thousand signatures and a “Medication Abortion Action Fair” aimed at garnering support, even as administrative, legal, and pro-life critics raise warnings about safety, liability, and the morality of such a policy.
Student organizers are circulating surveys and collecting signatures to push University Health Services (UHS) to provide abortion drugs directly to students who want them. Their campaign is part of a broader movement to treat reproductive health — including abortion — as a standard health service on campus. Supporters argue that access on campus would reduce logistical barriers for students, particularly freshmen, who otherwise must travel off campus to reach clinics such as Planned Parenthood. Oregon’s reproductive health law (HB 2002) does not require universities to provide medication abortion, and the university has cited legal and liability concerns in declining to supply the pills.
Administrators reportedly have hesitated over the proposal due to safety and medical staffing issues. According to student newspaper reporting, UHS has noted it lacks around-the-clock staff to monitor and assist students who could experience complications from chemical abortion medications. That point echoes broader medical concerns: federal data note serious complication rates for medication abortion — including emergency-room-level adverse events — that have been cited by critics.
Pro-life organizations, including Oregon Right to Life, have publicly condemned the push. Their leaders argue that abortion drugs are lethal to unborn children and can pose significant physical and psychological harm to women. These advocates call for the university and student groups to instead promote resources that support pregnant and parenting students without encouraging or distributing abortion medications. They urge provision of informational guides and supportive services as alternatives.
The campaign follows similar efforts at the university in recent years. A previous push in 2024 to secure on-campus medicated abortions failed, partly due to legislative dynamics with HB 2002 and internal opposition. Current organizers hope increased student engagement and petition signatures will reinvigorate discussions with university leaders.
University officials have not publicly committed to changing policy, and statements from UO administration or health services regarding the latest petition have been limited. Meanwhile, the debate at the University of Oregon reflects national tensions over abortion policy on college campuses, where access, moral concerns, liability, and student health intersect.
