The landmark case, Roe v Wade, which dictated that the right to privacy enumerance in the Constitution includes the right to decide whether or not to carry out a pregnancy, was overturned last June.
Controversies regarding the safety of mifoprostine, a drug used in over half of existing and available abortion pills, spurs conservative states to take action as they see the opportunity to repeal the abortion pill, per the Washington Post.
The potential banning of the abortion pill would be detrimental to women across the country as individual rights are being violated, prompting them to resort to unsafe and illegal aboritons, per the Chicago Tribune.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the generic version of the drug mifopristone in 2000, according to National Public Radio (NPR). However, in early April, federal judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, prompted the issue to go to the high court as the claim was made that the FDA inadequately approved the drug.
Per the New York Times, a lawsuit was filed by anti-abortionists against the FDA, which marked the beginning of the debate’s resurfacing. As of April 21, the court case was put on hold and will be resumed on May 17 in the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, per CNBC. If the Supreme Court rules that the abortion pill is no longer approved, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center states that people across the country will be more at risk to have unsafe abortions and will be forced to carry out pregnancies in devastating conditions.
In 2022, a coalition of anti-abortion medical organizations and several doctors from Texas sued the FDA over the use of the abortion pill. According to the New York Times, the group argued that the FDA did not follow proper protocol and had insufficient research when approving the drug over 20 years ago. Additionally, this case could hurt abortion providers because the abortion pill would have limited access and locations where people could obtain it, limiting safe abortion options in both Democratic and Republican states.
According to the Washington Post, the abortion pill ruling is the first time a judge has ordered the FDA to revoke the approval of a drug. This ruling could undermine the FDA’s ability to approve medications that Americans need on a daily basis, including the abortion pill. This case sets precedent for various arguments against safe abortion medications.
While this case is underway until May 17, it currently limits the amount of mifepristone available to patients in the U.S. There are still other options that abortion clinics can implement to provide abortions, such as misoprostol, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, according to the FDA, misoprostol has not been officially approved as possible serious side effects may occur.Mifepristone should be readily available because it currently stands as the safest drug option for pill-based abortions, per NIH. If the drug were to be banned in the upcoming case ruling, unsafe and unregulated drugs would take its place, posing a threat to the health of women, per NPR.
With the increasing amount of bans on safe abortion methods throughout the country, victims of sexual assault are faced with limitations in regards to abortions. This then forces many to resort to unsafe, illegal abortions. It is vital that survivors of sexual assault have proper access to safe abortions.
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