The scene outside of the Supreme Court on March 26 was a true showing of the dedication of our movement. Hundreds gathered to show their support for access to medication abortion as the Supreme Court held oral arguments for the biggest case on abortion since Dobbs, FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. The Supreme Court’s ruling in this case could determine the accessibility of the medication mifepristone [1]. Mifepristone is one of the drugs typically used in medication abortions. In 2023, medication abortions accounted for 63% of all abortions in the U.S., an increase since the fall of Roe [2]. As abortion restrictions continue to spread across the country it is clear that medication abortion may be the most viable option to get to abortion care to all who need it, even those who live in states with bans and restrictions.

For this reason, the Supreme Court’s decision in this case is so crucial. The Supreme Court could reinstate restrictions on the medication which were deemed unnecessary by the FDA after scientific evaluation. The reinstatement of these restrictions would end the ability of doctors to prescribe these medications via telemedicine and for pharmacies to ship the medications by mail [1]. With many abortion seekers in restrictive states, depending on telemedicine provision and pills being shipped by mail, there could not be a more critical time to stand up for access to abortion.

Reproaction will continue to show up and lead bold direct action in opposition to injustice and efforts to roll back care that we know is safe and effective. Now is the time for those of us who live in states where abortion is protected to speak up. People can no longer operate under the assumption that what the Supreme Court does will not affect them simply because their state votes blue, this impacts all of us. The reality is the anti-abortion movement will not be satisfied with only some states banning abortion, they want a federal abortion ban, and we cannot let that happen. [3]

If you are interested in hosting an education event to learn the protocols for safe, effective self-managed abortion with pills, sign up for a training with us here.

Sources:

1. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/03/25/1240282129/mifepristone-supreme-court-fda-medication-abortion-explainer
2. https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2024/medication-abortions-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020
3. https://apnews.com/article/abortion-federal-ban-trump-2024-election-61c3edcd3780ce94be3bd8d65f100f23