The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case on whether access to mifepristone, a common medication abortion pill, should be limited.
The conservative-leaning court will decide on restricting access nationwide to the FDA-approved pill, designed for ending pregnancies less than 10 weeks along.
As The Washington Post reports:
The Biden administration and the manufacturer of mifepristone have asked the justices to overturn a lower-court ruling that would make it more difficult to obtain the medication, which is part of a two-drug regimen used in more than half of all abortions in the United States.
The conservative U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit said the Food and Drug Administration did not follow proper procedures when it began loosening regulations for obtaining the pill, which was first approved more than 20 years ago. The changes made over the last few years included allowing the drug to be taken later in pregnancy, to be mailed directly to patients and to be prescribed by a medical professional other than a doctor.
Medications to terminate pregnancy, which can be taken at home, have increased in importance over the last 18 months, as more than a dozen states severely limited or banned abortions following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
The justices agreed to review the case as the broader issue of abortion access remains a divisive issue politically and legally. A pregnant woman in Texas this week lost her legal battle for permission to end her pregnancy this week, after she had left the state to obtain an abortion. Last week, a Kentucky woman went to court asserting the state’s abortion restrictions violate her constitutional right to privacy.
A decision is expected by the end of June, just over four months from Election Day 2024.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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