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☆ A pregnant woman traveled to Oregon get an abortion due to the Louisiana ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Christina Zdanowicz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

And for women in Texas and Louisiana, average travel times to the nearest abortion facility were seven hours longer – almost a full workday in travel time to get an abortion. She researched the parameters for abortion in a state, how long she would have to take off work, travel options and how soon she could get an appointment. “The second I got the definitive pregnancy result, I was like, ‘OK, let’s book a flight to Oregon. Victoria took two medications as part of a medication abortion. She says she got an excellent standard of care around her surgeries, but it felt dissonant with her state’s laws around abortion.

Persons: ” Victoria, Roe, Wade, Victoria, ”, “, Austin Steele, “ Victoria, it’s, Emily, –, “ I’ve, you’re Organizations: CNN, New, Victoria, US, American Medical Association, Catholic, New England, of Medicine Locations: Victoria, New Orleans, Louisiana, Texas, Oregon, Florida, Portland , Oregon

☆ NY Gov. Hochul signs bill to protect abortion providers sending pills into states with bans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Governor Kathy Hochul holds media availability press conference and makes an announcement on abortion rights at the office on 633 3rd Avenue. Kathy Hochul on Friday signed a bill that would legally protect doctors who prescribe and send abortion pills to patients living in other states where the procedure is outlawed. Under the measure, New York abortion providers can serve more out-of-state patients without fear of litigation. Similar telehealth abortion laws have been enacted in Massachusetts, Colorado, Vermont and Washington. The bill builds upon similar legislation passed last year, which aimed to protect New York abortion care providers from litigation, but did not specifically address telehealth.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, Hochul, Wade, we're, Matthew Kacsmaryk Organizations: New York Gov, NBC, The, Food and Drug Administration, Northern District of, FDA Locations: New York, U.S, York, Massachusetts , Colorado , Vermont, Washington, Northern District, Northern District of Texas

June 22 (Reuters) - A Wyoming judge on Thursday temporarily blocked a law banning medication abortion in the Western state, delaying what could be the nation's first such ban while a lawsuit challenging it makes its way through the courts, the Casper Star Tribune reported. Wyoming's ban, one of numerous abortion restrictions passed by Republican lawmakers in U.S. states in the year since the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to an abortion by overturning the 50-year-old Roe vs. Wade decision, was set to go into effect July 1. "Essentially the government under this law is making the decision for a woman rather than the woman making her own health care choice," Ninth District Court Judge Melissa Owens said, according to the newspaper. Medication abortion, also called medical abortion, involves taking two drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, to end a pregnancy. Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Melissa Owens, Sharon Bernstein, Sonali Paul Organizations: Casper Star Tribune, Republican, Thomson Locations: Wyoming, Western, U.S

May 17 (Reuters) - Federal appeals court judges appeared to express support on Wednesday for opponents of the abortion pill mifepristone to pursue their challenge to its U.S. approval, which has potentially far-reaching consequences for abortion access across the country. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to overturn last month's unprecedented ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas suspending mifepristone's approval. [1/2] A patient prepares to take Mifepristone, the first medication in a medical abortion, at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, U.S., April 20, 2023. Circuit Judges James Ho and Wilson were appointed by Donald Trump. SAFE AND EFFECTIVEMifepristone remains available for now, following an emergency order from the U.S. Supreme Court putting Kacsmaryk's order on hold during the appeal.

[1/2] A patient prepares to take Mifepristone, the first medication in a medical abortion, at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, U.S., April 20, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File PhotoMay 17 (Reuters) - U.S. appeals court judges began hearing arguments on Wednesday in a legal battle over the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone, with potentially far-reaching consequences for abortion access across the United States. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to overturn last month's unprecedented ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas suspending mifepristone's approval. Danco Laboratories, which sells the drug under the brand name Mifeprex, is also expected to argue before the court. The emergency room doctors said they were being forced to complete surgical abortions, which was against their conscience, for women who took the pill and failed to complete a medical abortion.

[1/2] A patient prepares to take Mifepristone, the first medication in a medical abortion, at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, U.S., April 20, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File PhotoMay 17 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court in New Orleans will hear arguments on Wednesday in a closely watched case brought by anti-abortion activists seeking to ban the abortion pill mifepristone, with potentially far-reaching impact on abortion access across the United States. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn last month's unprecedented ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas suspending mifepristone's FDA approval. Mifepristone remains available for now, following an emergency order from the U.S. Supreme Court putting Kacsmaryk's order on hold during the appeal. Whichever way the 5th Circuit panel rules, the decision is sure to be appealed, first to the full court and then to the U.S. Supreme Court.

☆ NJ Gov. Murphy would consider defying Supreme Court if justices back abortion pill ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Phil Murphy on Wednesday said he would consider defying the Supreme Court and continue to provide mifepristone if the court rules in favor of a ban on the abortion pill. When asked if the state would prescribe mifepristone after such a ruling, Murphy told MSNBC: "To be determined." It's going to cost them health, it's also going to cost peoples' lives, women in particular sadly. That's what's at stake, we'll do whatever it takes to save lives," said Murphy, a Democrat. The case hinges on whether the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the abortion pill should be rolled back.

☆ Access to abortion pill mifepristone at stake in federal appeals court hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Evelyn Hockstein | ReutersA federal appeals court will hear arguments Wednesday afternoon in a closely watched lawsuit that seeks to pull the abortion pill mifepristone from the U.S. market. The hearing at the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans comes 11 months after the Supreme Court ruled there was no longer a federal constitutional right to abortion. But if it refuses to hear an appeal, the 5th Circuit decision will be the final word on the drug's fate. Days later, the DOJ appealed Kacsmaryk's decision to the 5th Circuit, which handles cases arising from the Northern District of Texas. He said the Supreme Court will likely agree to take the case if the 5th Circuit panel decides to pull mifepristone from the U.S. market.

☆ As US debates abortion pill ban, Argentina expands its use
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Anna-Catherine Brigida | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Benjamin Castro, a 26-year-old non-binary Argentine musician and teacher, poses for pictures during an interview in Buenos Aires, Argentina May 4, 2023. Argentina is the latest country in Latin America to green light the drug, part of a two-pill abortion regimen, which now faces the threat of a ban in the United States. "Having mifepristone available is key for ensuring abortions that are safe and high quality," she said. For Benjamin Castro, a 26-year-old non-binary Argentine musician and teacher, mifepristone access came too late. Castro, who was assigned female at birth and uses male pronouns, sought an abortion in 2020 during the pandemic, before mifepristone was available, receiving only misoprostol pills.

☆ Health Plan Coverage of Abortion and Related Services
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Practical Law Employee Benefits | Executive Compensation | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +36 min

The Dobbs ruling, which returned the regulation of abortion to the individual states, has led to legislation that restricts abortion, including medication abortion, in many states. In response to the rapidly changing post-Dobbs legal landscape, this article addresses health plan coverage of abortion, medication abortion coverage and litigation, abortion-related travel benefits, and related Practical Law resources concerning these topics. The insurer in a fully insured health plan, health maintenance organization (HMO), or similar arrangement:Assumes the risk of providing health coverage for insured events by paying medical costs for eligible claims incurred under the plan. Self-Funded Health PlansBy contrast, employers with self-funded arrangements may have more discretion in providing coverage for abortion and related services. Changes to plan coverage of medication abortion will likely require plan administrators to:(For more on coverage of medication abortion, see Newly Launched, ReproductiveRights.gov Website Addresses Access to Medication Abortion (Mifepristone) Using Telehealth on Practical Law.)

April 28 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Denver on Friday rejected a Catholic medical center's bid to block Colorado from banning an unproven treatment meant to reverse the effects of a medication abortion drug. Medication abortion begins with the drug mifepristone, which blocks action of the hormone progesterone, crucial for sustaining pregnancy, and is completed with a second drug, misoprostol. Proponents of medication abortion reversal say that if a woman changes her mind after taking mifepristone but before taking misoprostol, the pregnancy can be continued by administering a high dose of progesterone. Mifepristone is the subject of a heated legal battle as anti-abortion groups seek to pull it from the market. Republican state legislatures have also taken steps to restrict access to the drug, while Democratic legislatures have sought to protect it.

Circuit Court of Appeals, called the April 7 order by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk "abrupt and profoundly disruptive." The 5th Circuit is preparing to hear May 17 arguments on the matter after the U.S. Supreme Court last week put on hold Kacsmaryk's order. Danco Laboratories, which manufactures the brand-name version of the drug, was due to make a separate filing with the 5th Circuit. A panel of three 5th Circuit judges is scheduled to hear arguments on whether to uphold Kacsmaryk's order. The 5th Circuit has a conservative reputation, with 12 of its 16 active judges appointed by Republican presidents.

CNN —A panel in Japan’s health ministry has approved the country’s first abortion pill, in a major step for reproductive rights decades after other countries made abortion medication widely available. The ministry’s pharmaceutical board granted approval on Friday to the MeFeego Pack, an abortion pill manufactured by British pharmaceutical Linepharma, according to a spokesperson from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The medication consists of two types of pill, and can be used within nine weeks of pregnancy, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. In a clinical trial in Japan, 93% of participants had a complete abortion within 24 hours, NHK reported. Kanako Inaba, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, wrote on Twitter that the approval of abortion pills was an opportunity to spread greater sex education and awareness about contraceptive methods.

☆ The Janes 1960s underground abortion network
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +28 min

The group was officially created in 1969 as the “Abortion Counseling Service of Women’s Liberation.”But after running ads in an underground newspaper: “Pregnant? “It wasn’t just abortion,” Barron explained. “Vacuum aspiration was much easier to do, and I think it’s less difficult for the woman,” Scott said. We had to keep the service running.”Laura Kaplan volunteered for the Janes, later immortalizing the group in her book, "The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service." Each Jane was charged with 11 counts of abortion and conspiracy to commit abortion, with a possible sentence of up to 110 years in prison.

However the 5th Circuit rules, the case will likely continue for months or years. HOW DID THE CASE GET TO THE 5TH CIRCUIT? WHAT COULD THE 5TH CIRCUIT DO? No matter what the court does, the losing party will have a chance to appeal to the full 5th Circuit and then to the U.S. Supreme Court. Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

☆ US abortion providers relieved but wary as Supreme Court preserves pill access
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Abortion rights supporters expressed relief on Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court preserved access to a widely used abortion pill but warned of a long fight ahead as a legal challenge to the medication continues. Abortion providers had been stockpiling the abortion pill mifepristone or planning to switch to a new regimen amid the battle over the legality of a drug used in more than half of U.S. abortions. Several providers said late on Friday they would pause plans to change their medication abortion protocol in light of the Supreme Court's order. The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the case, however, meaning that mifepristone could still be restricted or banned at a later stage in the case. Several states where abortion remains legal, including California, Massachusetts and Washington, previously said they had begun stockpiling abortion drugs in advance of possible restrictions.

HOW DID THE CASE GET TO THE SUPREME COURT? The Biden administration and Danco immediately asked the Supreme Court to overrule the 5th Circuit and impose an emergency stay. WHAT DID THE SUPREME COURT DO? The injunction was not at issue before the Supreme Court, and remains in effect. Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

☆ Live updates: Supreme Court protects access to abortion pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Elise Hammond | Matt Meyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A patient prepares to take Mifepristone, the first medication in a medical abortion, at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois. Along with misoprostol, mifepristone is one of the drugs used for an abortion via medication, as opposed to surgery. Someone having a medication abortion takes mifepristone and then, after 24 to 48 hours, takes misoprostol. Side effects of mifepristone: Mifepristone usually doesn’t have many side effects, doctors say, but as with any drug, there can be short-lived ones. Preliminary data published February 2022 from the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization focused on sexual and reproductive health that supports abortion rights, showed that medication abortion accounted for 53% of all abortions in the US.

☆ Supreme Court says abortion pill mifepristone will remain broadly available during legal battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Demonstrators rally in support of abortion rights at the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, April 15, 2023. The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the abortion pill mifepristone to remain broadly available as litigation plays out in a lower court. The appeals court has scheduled oral arguments for Wednesday, May 17 at 1 pm CT. Mifepristone has become the central flashpoint in the legal battle over abortion since the Supreme Court last summer overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that guaranteed abortion as a constitutional right nationwide. The appeals court judges also suspended the 2019 approval of the generic version of mifepristone.

The Supreme Court maintained access to the abortion drug mifepristone on Friday. The court took on the issue after a federal judge in Texas issued a ruling suspending FDA approval of mifepristone. Drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol have been under heightened scrutiny from abortion opponents since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June. Earlier in April, a federal judge in Amarillo, Texas, issued a ruling suspending mifepristone's FDA approval, arguing the approval itself was unlawful. Following the Supreme Court's reversal on abortion rights, Democrats heavily campaigned on the issue of abortion in the 2022 midterm elections.

It is the second time in a year that the Supreme Court has considered a major effort to sharply curtail access to abortion. Less than an hour later, a federal judge in Washington State, Thomas O. The competing rulings meant that the matter was almost certainly headed to the Supreme Court. But the panel imposed several barriers to access, siding in part with Judge Kacsmaryk, while the lawsuit moved through the courts. Seeking emergency relief, the Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene while a fast-tracked appeal moved forward.

☆ What Is Mifepristone and How Is It Used?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Claire Cain Miller | Margot Sanger-Katz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mifepristone is used as part of a two-drug regimen to end a pregnancy without surgery. Along with the second drug, misoprostol, it is known as medication abortion, or “the abortion pill” in common parlance. Mifepristone blocks a hormone called progesterone that is necessary for a pregnancy to continue. Misoprostol brings on uterine contractions, causing the body to expel the pregnancy as in a miscarriage. Growing evidence from overseas suggests that abortion pills are safe even among women who do not have a doctor to advise them.

WASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - Use of the drug misoprostol on its own to terminate pregnancies is on the rise in the United States as providers seek a preemptive alternative while a ban on abortion pill mifepristone is being considered in court. Misoprostol is already part of the only medication abortion protocol approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but only when taken in combination with mifepristone. The drug, which the FDA first approved in 1988 for gastric ulcers, is often prescribed off-label to treat miscarriages or induce abortions. "If providers are forced to stop providing mifepristone, misoprostol alone is also safe and effective," said Dr. Ushma Upadhyay, a public health professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Because misoprostol is approved for medication abortion in the United States as part of the two-drug combination, prescribing it alone to terminate pregnancies would also be considered off-label.

☆ Supreme Court maintains full access to abortion pill mifepristone until at least Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Demonstrators rally in support of abortion rights at the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, April 15, 2023. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Wednesday issued an order allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to remain available by mail delivery and without tighter restrictions on how it is used until at least late Friday night. Although that ruling keeps mifepristone on the market, the restrictions are so sweeping that many women would not have access to the medication even in some states where abortion is legal. The appeals court restrictions included blocking mail delivery of the medication, re-imposing doctor visits as a requirement to obtain the drug, and shortening the length of time women can use the pill to the seventh week of pregnancy. The court also blocked the generic version of mifepristone made by a second company, GenBioPro, which supplies about two-thirds of the medication for the U.S. market.

☆ US Supreme Court faces self-imposed deadline to act on abortion pill curbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Andrew Chung | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday faces a self-imposed deadline to act before significant limits on access to the abortion pill mifepristone take effect in a challenge by anti-abortion groups to the drug's federal regulatory approval. The Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, is expected to act before the deadline to either grant or reject the requests or further pause the litigation. In a case that could undercut federal regulatory authority over drug safety, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. The 5th Circuit did halt a part of Kacsmaryk's order that would have suspended the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the drug in 2000 and effectively pull it off the market. Some 56% of respondents said they have an unfavorable view of the Supreme Court.

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