A US court has restricted mail-order access to mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortions. The ruling limits how the pill can be distributed, affecting the most common abortion method in the country.
Medication abortion accounts for the majority of US abortions performed today. Mifepristone, combined with a second drug called misoprostol, terminates pregnancy in the first ten weeks. The court decision narrows the pathways through which patients can obtain mifepristone by mail, likely requiring more in-person doctor visits or pharmacy pickups instead of direct home delivery.
The ruling comes amid ongoing legal battles over abortion access following the Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which eliminated the federal right to abortion and returned regulation to the states. Multiple states have since imposed strict abortion bans or severe restrictions.
The court decision does not ban mifepristone outright but makes it harder for patients to access the drug remotely. This effectively pushes some abortion seekers toward surgical procedures or travel to states with fewer restrictions, depending on where they live. The ruling reflects the fractured legal landscape surrounding abortion in America, where access now varies drastically by state and continues to shift based on judicial decisions.