A US federal appeals court, on Wednesday (August 16th),&nbsp;imposed restrictions on&nbsp;the widely used abortion pill, mifepristone. The ruling, which partially blocks&nbsp;a lower court ruling&nbsp;that sought to&nbsp;revoke&nbsp;Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the abortion pill, has instead&nbsp;limited&nbsp;its use to the first seven weeks of pregnancy, and&nbsp;prevented its distribution by mail.&nbsp;

Limiting the access and use of the abortion pill,&nbsp;a three-judge panel&nbsp;of the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said: "In loosening mifepristone's safety restrictions, FDA failed to address several important concerns about whether the drug would be safe for the women who use it."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ros-vs-wade-fallout-13-year-old-girl-gives-birth-after-she-was-raped-and-denied-abortion-in-mississippi-625601">Roe vs Wade fallout: 13-year-old girl gives birth after she was raped and denied abortion in Mississippi</a>

As per the news agency AFP, the ruling and the restrictions it imposes will remain on hold as the US Supreme Court ponders whether to take up the case.

<h2>What the ruling means</h2>

The ruling reduces the abortion pill usage window from 10 to seven&nbsp;weeks and&nbsp;mandates that&nbsp;mifepristone must be prescribed by a doctor. However, for the time being, the drug will continue to be available on the market.

The decision, as per AFP, has been made by a panel of conservative judges, two of whom were appointed by former US president Donald Trump, a Republican.

<h2>Reproductive rights,&nbsp;mifepristone and the US</h2>

Anti-abortion groups&nbsp;have been advocating for a ban on mifepristone. Despite the medicine's proven&nbsp;track record, they cite safety concerns as the reason for the proposed ban.

Mifepristone, as per AFP,&nbsp;is responsible for over half of all abortions in the United States.&nbsp;The FDA reports that&nbsp;since its approval in 2000, approximately 5.6 million Americans have used mifepristone to abort pregnancies.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-regulatory-body-set-to-unveil-measures-for-surveillance-industry-625929">US regulatory body set to unveil measures for 'Surveillance&nbsp;Industry'</a>

<h2>Pro-choice vs Pro-life</h2>

In April, Texas Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, another appointee of Trump, overturned the FDA's 23-year-old approval of mifepristone. Following this, the Supreme Court&nbsp;stepped in and&nbsp;temporarily preserved&nbsp;access to mifepristone. The apex court then sent the case back to the 5th Circuit.&nbsp;

Kacsmaryk's decision was labelled 'out of bounds' by US President Joe Biden. However, in a hearing held in May, the three-judge panel pushed back against the government's stance that the decision on mifepristone's use should be left to the FDA.

In June 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned the historic Roe v. Wade and the nationwide right to abortion.&nbsp;Since then the United States has been engaged in a&nbsp;struggle over reproductive rights. This legal battle over access to abortion pills is the latest in the ongoing fight.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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A US federal appeals court, on Wednesday (August 16th), imposed restrictions on the widely used abortion pill, mifepristone. The ruling, which partially blocks a lower court ruling that sought to revoke Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the abortion pill, has instead limited its use to the first seven weeks of pregnancy, and prevented its distribution by mail.

A US federal appeals court, on Wednesday (August 16th), imposed restrictions on the widely used abortion pill, mifepristone. The ruling, which partially blocks a lower court ruling that sought to revoke Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the abortion pill, has instead limited its use to the first seven weeks of pregnancy, and prevented its distribution by mail. Limiting the access and use of the abortion pill, a three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said: "In loosening mifepristone's safety restrictions, FDA failed to address several important concerns about whether the drug would be safe for the women who use it." Also read | Roe vs Wade fallout: 13-year-old girl gives birth after she was raped and denied abortion in Mississippi As per the news agency AFP, the ruling and the restrictions it imposes will remain on hold as the US Supreme Court ponders whether to take up the case. What the ruling means The ruling reduces the abortion pill usage window from 10 to seven weeks and mandates that mifepristone must be prescribed by a doctor. However, for the time being, the drug will continue to be available on the market. The decision, as per AFP, has been made by a panel of conservative judges, two of whom were appointed by former US president Donald Trump, a Republican. Reproductive rights, mifepristone and the US Anti-abortion groups have been advocating for a ban on mifepristone. Despite the medicine's proven track record, they cite safety concerns as the reason for the proposed ban. Mifepristone, as per AFP, is responsible for over half of all abortions in the United States. The FDA reports that since its approval in 2000, approximately 5.6 million Americans have used mifepristone to abort pregnancies. Also read | US regulatory body set to unveil measures for 'Surveillance Industry' Pro-choice vs Pro-life In April, Texas Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, another appointee of Trump, overturned the FDA's 23-year-old approval of mifepristone. Following this, the Supreme Court stepped in and temporarily preserved access to mifepristone. The apex court then sent the case back to the 5th Circuit. Kacsmaryk's decision was labelled 'out of bounds' by US President Joe Biden. However, in a hearing held in May, the three-judge panel pushed back against the government's stance that the decision on mifepristone's use should be left to the FDA. In June 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned the historic Roe v. Wade and the nationwide right to abortion. Since then the United States has been engaged in a struggle over reproductive rights. This legal battle over access to abortion pills is the latest in the ongoing fight. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US appeals court places restrictions on abortion pill mifepristone, Supreme Court to have final say

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US appeals court places restrictions on abortion pill mifepristone, Supreme Court to have final say