06/13/2024

SCOTUS Preserves Access to Abortion Pill Medication

Women will still have access to mifepristone

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled to preserve access to the abortion pill mifepristone, a pill used in the most common way to end a pregnancy.

When SCOTUS heard oral arguments for the case in March, the safety of mifepristone was at the heart of the debate. There are rare occasions when mifepristone can cause dangerous, excessive bleeding that requires emergency care. Because of that, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) imposed strict safety limits on who could prescribe and distribute it.

The doctors also had to be capable of performing emergency surgery to stop excess bleeding and an abortion procedure if the drug didn’t end the pregnancy. Over the years, the FDA reaffirmed mifepristone’s safety and repeatedly eased restrictions, culminating in a 2021 decision doing away with any in-person requirements and allowing the pill to be sent through the mail.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Associated Press.