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

A US federal appeals court, on Wednesday (August 16th),imposed restrictions onthe widely used abortion pill, mifepristone. The ruling, which partially blocksa lower court rulingthat sought torevokeFood and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the abortion pill, has insteadlimitedits use to the first seven weeks of pregnancy, andprevented its distribution by mail.

Limiting the access and use of the abortion pill,a three-judge panelof 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."

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 sevenweeks andmandates thatmifepristone 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 groupshave been advocating for a ban on mifepristone. Despite the medicine's proventrack 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 thatsince its approval in 2000, approximately 5.6 million Americans have used mifepristone to abort pregnancies.

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 Courtstepped in andtemporarily preservedaccess 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 astruggle over reproductive rights. This legal battle over access to abortion pills is the latest in the ongoing fight.

(With inputs from agencies)

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