The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously upheld access to mifepristone, the abortion pill, rejecting a lawsuit that sought to restrict its availability.
The court ruled that the doctors and anti-abortion groups who brought the challenge lacked legal standing to sue.
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Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the opinion, “The parties do not have standing simply because others are allowed to engage in certain activities.”
Implications for Reproductive Rights
Medication abortions account for nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Mifepristone, approved by the FDA in 2000, is a key component of the two-drug regimen and has been deemed safe and effective.
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Reproductive rights advocates welcomed the decision but expressed frustration that the case reached the high court.
Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said, “I’m glad the decision was rejected, but it should not have made it to the Supreme Court in the first place.”
Jennifer Dalven from the ACLU cautioned that while this ruling appears to be a win, challenges to reproductive rights are far from over.
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The ruling eliminates the immediate threat to mifepristone access but may pave the way for future legal battles over the drug.
