The Supreme Court announced Friday a decision to maintain legal access to mifepristone, a drug used in both medication abortion and miscarriage management. While Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA will continue to move through lower courts, mifepristone will remain accessible in states where abortion is legal.
As previously reported by Rebellious, this news comes after Justice Samuel Alito’s extended pause of a Texas court’s decision to remove the drug’s FDA approval was set to expire last Friday.
This case will be heard by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which according to Forbes, will occur at an expedited time during its next oral calendar, though no date has been specified.
“Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) is pleased the Supreme Court issued a stay while the litigation on the federal Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone proceeds. We can and will continue offering the safe and effective two-medication regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol. This is a win not only for PPIL patients but people across the country who deserve to have access to high-quality and effective health care including safe and legal medication abortion,” Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois said in a press release.
Local reproductive rights groups took to the streets of downtown Chicago last week to protest the potential removal of mifepristone.
Chants of “our bodies, our lives, our right to decide” and “hands off abortion pills” rang from the group of about 20 marching outside of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn, Wednesday evening.
The hour-long picket allowed time for speakers from the organizing groups to share their thoughts.
“Abortion care will continue in Illinois and we’re going to fight to make sure it’s accessible for everyone, everywhere,” said Linda Loew of Chicago for Abortion Rights.
Andy Thayer, co-founder of Gay Liberation Network, touched on not only reproductive justice, but other issues including racism, voting rights and trans rights.
“When they go after one group, they’re coming after us all,” he told Rebellious. “We see the right to abortion as part of a much bigger issue of bodily autonomy. As an LGBTQ person, I should have the right to not be discriminated against in any aspect of life, whether it’s equal marriage rights, equal employment rights… all of the issues are connected together…”
The picket event was organized by Chicago For Abortion Rights, Chicago Abortion Fund, Reproductive Transparency Now, Will County National Organization for Women, Indivisible Evanston, Indivisible Illinois, and Gay Liberation Network.