Introduction
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a dispute over a medication used in the most common method of abortion in the United States, marking the first abortion case reviewed by the court since the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year.
Key Points
The Supreme Court is considering its first abortion case since the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year. The justices will rule on a dispute regarding a medication used in the most common method of abortion in the United States. The Biden administration and a manufacturer of the drug mifepristone are asking the Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling that limits access to the drug by mail. The case will be heard in the spring, with a decision expected by the end of June, amid the 2024 presidential and congressional campaign season.
Commonly Used Abortion Medication
Mifepristone, produced by Danco Laboratories in New York, is one of the medications used in medication abortions, which account for more than half of all abortions in the United States. It has been used by over 5 million people since 2000.
Abortion Challenges
Abortion opponents filed a challenge to mifepristone last November and initially won a sweeping ruling that completely overturned the drug’s approval. The appeals court left the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone intact, but it will reverse changes made by regulators in 2016 and 2021 that eased some requirements for prescribing the drug.
Potential Impacts
The justices have blocked the enforcement of this ruling while the case is ongoing, although Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas indicated they would have allowed some restrictions to be applied while the case proceeds. If mifepristone is no longer available or becomes difficult to obtain, healthcare providers may turn to using only misoprostol, which is less effective in ending a pregnancy.
Follow the Associated Press coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at the following link: https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court
Leave a Reply