US Court Limits Use of Mifepristone Abortion Pill

A federal court of appeals US on Wednesday imposed limitations on the use of a pill abortive widely marketed in the country, but its ruling has been suspended while the Supreme Court decides whether to hear the case.

The decision of a panel of three judges of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit based in New Orleansstate Louisiana (South), limits the use of mifepristone to the first seven weeks of pregnancy, instead of 10, and blocks its distribution by mail.

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It also calls for this pill, used in more than half of the abortions in the United States, be prescribed by a doctor. Despite the ruling by the panel of conservative judges, two of whom were appointed by the former president donald trumpthe drug will remain on the market for the time being.

Anti-abortion groups are trying to ban mifepristone on the grounds that, despite its long-standing use and medical validation in the country, it is not safe.

It is the latest clash in a battle for reproductive rights in the United States. At a hearing in May, the three justices rejected the government’s arguments that the decision to allow the use of mifepristone should be left to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which approved the drug more than two decades ago.

The FDA declined to comment on this decision, claiming that it is a process that is still ongoing.

For the feminist organization Women’s Marchthis failure “is clearly based on the anti-abortion views of far-right judicial activists”, and asked the Supreme Court “protect the mifepristone”.

The case stems from a ruling by a conservative district court judge in Texas, which initially banned the use of mifepristone. Later, a Fifth Circuit Court blocked this prohibition although it imposed restrictions on access. The matter then went to the Supreme Court, where the Conservatives wield a 6-3 majority.

The Supreme Court temporarily preserved access to mifepristone, froze lower court rulings and sent the case back to the Fifth Circuit, whose final decision will also remain on hold until the country’s highest court decides whether to hear the matter.

MORE INFORMATION: United States: suspension of ruling that temporarily allowed abortions in emergencies in Texas

It would be the most significant abortion case to reach the Supreme Court since the court struck down the constitutional right to the procedure in June of last year.

safety consensus

for the NGO Reproductive Rights Center (CRR), there is scientific “CONSENSUS” on the exemplary safety and efficacy of mifepristone.

“Medical abortion is used in more than half of all abortions in the US and imposing outdated and unscientific restrictions will harm millions of the most vulnerable pregnant peoplein the country, he added.

The CRR also supports thirteen women who sued the state of Texas because they were not allowed to have an abortion, even though the pregnancy was life-threatening or the fetus would not survive.

Abortion was considered a right in the United States after a historic ruling in the Roe v. case Wade, in 1973. But last year, the Supreme Court, with a conservative majority, reversed it. Since then, more than a dozen states have banned, penalized or restricted it.

katie danieldirector of state policy for the anti-abortion group Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America welcomed the court’s decision.

“The FDA Ignored Science And Its Own Rules When It Approved This Reckless Dems ‘Abortion By Mail’ Scheme“, said.

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“We will not rest until the FDA and the profit-driven abortion industry are held accountable for the suffering they have caused women and girls, as well as the deaths of countless unborn children.Daniel added.

“Mifepristone is still available under existing regulations, but this decision is completely entrenched in political ideology and junk science.”, considered the research group for the Promotion of New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH, in English).

Mifepristone is one component of a two-drug treatment that can be used during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. It has a long history of safety, and the FDA estimates that 5.6 million Americans have used it to terminate pregnancies since it was approved in 2000.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.