Court grants unlimited access to abortion pill Mifepristone

Court grants unlimited access to abortion pill Mifepristone

Story from Usman UMAR

In a significant win for supporters of reproductive rights, the United States Supreme Court has dismissed an attempt to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone.

The court ruled that the plaintiffs, a coalition of anti-abortion physicians and advocates known as the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, did not have the legal standing to contest the drug’s federal approval.

This decision comes two years after the court’s groundbreaking ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed abortion rights nationwide.

Following the 2022 ruling, 21 states have implemented more stringent abortion restrictions,

with 17 states prohibiting abortion at six weeks of pregnancy or earlier.

In response, medication abortion, particularly through mail-delivered pills, has become a crucial option for those impacted by these bans.

Mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in medication abortions, was authorised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000 for use up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy.

The medication regimen begins with mifepristone to induce abortion, followed by misoprostol to expel the contents of the uterus.

This method has become the most common way to terminate pregnancies in the United States.

Throughout the past two decades, the FDA, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and other key medical organisations have consistently affirmed the safety of both mifepristone and misoprostol.

Since 2016, the FDA has further simplified access, allowing healthcare providers to conduct virtual consultations and send prescriptions through mail.

Studies in the United States have shown that medication abortion is about 95% effective in terminating pregnancies, with less than 1% of cases needing additional medical intervention.