The legal battle over the mifepristone pill has intensified since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion rights.
This Friday, Texas federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, nominated by Donald Trump for his ultra-conservative positions, issued the first conviction the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted to the drug more than 20 years ago.
Hours later, in a dramatic legal reversal, Washington federal judge Thomas Rice, appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama, said the FDA must maintain availability of the abortion pill in at least 12 states.
Judge Kacsmaryk said his sentence would not be carried out for seven days before the Justice Department could appeal. On April 15, the possible date of his decision, an “emergency mobilization” called by the feminist organization Women’s March will take place across the country.
How is the abortion pill used?
According to the Guttmacher Institute, the pill was responsible for more than half (52%) of the 930,160 abortions recorded in 2020 by this organization that studies public policy and reproductive health in the United States. In 2008 this was 17% and in 2017 39%.
Although the number of so-called drug-induced abortions has increased significantly in recent years in the United States, it is still not as common as in some European countries. In France, for example, these types of abortions represented 70% of the total in 2020.
How it works?
The abortion pill is different from the “morning after” pill, which women can take immediately after having sex to prevent pregnancy.
Mifepristone is used to induce an abortion after pregnancy is confirmed. It actually involves more than one pill. The first, mifepristone, also known as RU 486, stops pregnancy by blocking the production of the hormone progesterone. Another drug, misoprostol, taken 48 hours later, causes cramping, bleeding, and empties the uterus.
Abortion pills can be used at home and do not require medical attention.
When was it approved?
The FDA approved mifepristone and misoprostol in 2020. Use is approved up to the 10th week of pregnancy. After this gestational period, the woman must abort by other means, such as intrauterine aspiration.
The average cost of an abortion drug at Planned Parenthood is $580 but can exceed $800.
Is it safe and effective?
The use of the abortion pill during the specified period is considered safe and effective by medical experts.
According to studies, pregnancies are successfully terminated in more than 95% of cases when the pill is used. Serious complications, such as excessive bleeding, fever, infection or an allergic reaction, which require medical advice, are rare.
Where is it available?
At least 13 U.S. states have banned most abortions, including those that require medication, since the Supreme Court last June overturned the federal right to terminate a pregnancy.
Despite the bans, several organizations have mobilized to provide abortion pills to women in states where abortion is restricted. The scale of the efforts is difficult to estimate.
In states where abortion is legal, the FDA recently eased restrictions on access to mifepristone, allowing it to be shipped by prescription or sold directly through pharmacies just like any other drug.
“The Supreme Court has a long tradition of respecting the scientific opinions of federal agencies,” Lawrence Gostin, a law professor at Georgetown University, told AFP. This renowned health law specialist expects a favorable decision from the FDA. However, he acknowledges that “the outcome of the battle is uncertain”.
“The absolute conservative majority on the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion and was hostile to federal regulations related to Covid-19 and climate change,” he noted. “This is a dangerous time for American women.”
Source: DN
