US Supreme Court preserves access to widely consumed abortion pill, for now

The United States Supreme Court on Wednesday fell short of delivering complete access to a widely-used abortion pill and instead gave way for a temporary access to such pills. After Wednesday's decision of the US Supreme Court, at least until Friday midnight, people across the United States will be able to access the aforementioned abortion pill mifepristone.

The move extends the accessgranted by US Supreme Court on April 14 for the widely-available abortion pill, reversing a Texas court's ruling that effectively banned its use across the United States.

Mifepristone reportedly accounts for more than half of all abortion pills consumed in the United States.

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The US Supreme Court also did not comment on the merits of the case.

But the extension of the stay gives the court more time to decide what to do with the divisive case, the most significant on reproductive rights since it tossed out the constitutional right to abortion last year.

ALSO WATCH |US court confined Mifepristone use to seven weeks of pregnancy

Earlier, a lower court ruling had nearly banned the use of mifepristone, following which the US Justice Department filed an emergency appeal asking the Supreme Court to reverse the ruling.

Matthew Kacsmaryk, a federal judge in Texas, overturned a regulatory approval granted to mifespristone about twenty years ago, effectively leading to a nationwide ban. The Texas judge also directed authorities to prevent patients from receiving the pills by mail.

More than 700 executives working in the pharmaceutical sector signed an open letter calling for the reversal of Kacsmaryk’s decision, which they argued "ignores decades of scientific evidence and legal precedent".

US abortion pill ban row: What next?

The latest US Supreme Court order is another twist in a legal battle over the regulatory approval of abortion pills that have mifepristone as a definitive ingredient.

The case has emerged as a legal flashpoint in the United States, where abortion rights have polarised electoral politics. It comes amidthe continued battle over abortion rights in the country after the Supreme Court overturned Roe Vs. Wade, a verdict that gave US citizens the constitutional right to abortion for nearly five decades.

Whether the US citizens will be able to access the mifepristone-containing abortion pills after Friday, will be decided by the US Supreme Court in the immediate future.

(With inputs from agencies)

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