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☆ Lindsey Graham repeats false claim that Democrats support 'abortion at the moment of birth' on CNN
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Graham falsely claimed that Democrats support abortion up until the "moment of birth." Democrats in fact support legislation allowing abortion after viability only when the mother's life and health are at risk. The senator repeated claims that Democrats support elective abortion at birth – a claim that medical experts say is false. Abortion up to the moment of birth, taxpayer-funded," Graham, a Republican, told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union." They introduced legislation that allowed abortion demand with taxpayer-funded – you paying for it, the taxpayer – up to the moment of birth," Graham responded.

☆ 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.

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.

☆ A federal appeals court co-opted anti-abortion terms in its ruling on mifepristone, calling a fetus an 'unborn child'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A federal appeals court used anti-abortion terminology in decision on abortion pill mifepristone. The decision calls a fetus an "unborn child" and refers to the pill as "chemical abortion." In the court filing, the decision referred to a fetus as an "unborn child" — phrasing often used by anti-abortion groups. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says on its website that using a phrase like "unborn child" centers the language on "the future state of a pregnancy," which it calls "medically inaccurate." The Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals' decision came after the Justice Department filed an emergency motion asking for time for the Biden administration to appeal the ban on mifepristone sales.

CNN —Dueling decisions in two federal district courts last week are likely to set up a showdown at the Supreme Court over the fate of the abortion pill mifepristone. When the Supreme Court upheld the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in 2007, dubious scientific arguments became even more central to anti-abortion advocacy. In Gonzales v. Carhart, the court held that in circumstances of scientific uncertainty, legislators would have more latitude to regulate abortion. Implausible scientific claims are now visible on social media, in lawsuits and in congressional hearings. (By taking this position, abortion opponents can still defend bans with no or few exceptions by claiming that abortion is never necessary.)

☆ Abortion pill alternative: The drug that could be used if Texas ban on mifepristone upheld
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A federal judge's ruling could take the abortion pill mifepristone off the market — but there is another medication that could provide an alternative for people seeking to terminate their pregnancies. Two states in reaction to that ruling already are stockpiling supplies of misoprostol, the drug that doctors typically prescribe with mifepristone to induce an abortion. That leaves misoprostol available as a safe and effective treatment for women who want to end their pregnancies. Some U.S. abortion providers are prepared to offer misoprostol as a stand-alone treatment, according to Jenny Ma, senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, a legal advocacy group that represents abortion providers worldwide. A study released in February by abortion researchers at the University of Texas in Austin found that misoprostol was 88% effective at causing an abortion.

☆ Texas GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales dodges questions on mifepristone ruling: 'Women have a whole lot of other issues than just abortion'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tony Gonzales said women face "other issues" than abortion when asked about the fate of mifepristone. Gonzales argued that the Biden administration was stepping on states' rights by appealing the mifepristone ruling. A federal judge in Texas ordered a hold on the drug's decades-old federal approval on Friday. Gonzales replied that the "states started this" with the Texas ruling, but "now the federal government is coming in and dictating theirs." "No, I think it's important that we take care of women," Gonzales said.

[1/2] A sign urging voters to reject a state constitutional amendment declaring there is no right to abortion is seen during the primary election and abortion referendum at a Wyandotte County polling station in Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. August 2, 2022. Opponents say the bill undermines the will of Kansas voters who in an August statewide referendum rejected by nearly 60% a state constitutional amendment that would have declared there was no right to abortion. A similar bill failed in Kansas in 2019 after its Republican supporters narrowly failed to get the two-thirds majority needed to overcome Kelly's veto in the state House. The Kansas legislature earlier this week approved a bill creating new punishments for doctors accused of not providing sufficient care to infants that are delivered alive during an abortion. The bill has veto-proof majorities in both houses, but it could still be challenged and overturned in court.

☆ U.S. judge in Texas will soon rule on the abortion pill mifepristone. Here's what could happen
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The Alliance For Hippocratic Medicine wants Judge Kacsmaryk to nullify the FDA's medical approval of mifepristone, which would effectively ban the abortion pill across the US. Senate Judiciary Committee | YouTubeA Texas judge will soon issue a pivotal ruling in a closely watched case challenging the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. It's also possible that Kacsmaryk could order the agency to impose tighter restrictions on access to mifepristone but stop short of completely halting sales. Abortion rights groups and legal experts expect the judge will rule against the FDA in some form. Possible injunctionIf Kacsmaryk issues an order to withdraw mifepristone from the market, there are several ways such a ruling could be drafted.

March 15 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge in Texas is set to hear arguments on Wednesday in a bid by anti-abortion groups to ban sales of the abortion pill mifepristone across the country, even in states where abortion is legal, as they challenge regulatory approval granted more than two decades ago. Twelve of the 50 states now ban abortion outright while some others prohibit it after a certain length of pregnancy, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights. The judge cited death threats and harassment directed at the court during the case and a wish to avoid disruption. After appealing to the 5th Circuit, the losing side could seek to take the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court. Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Will Dunham and Alexia GaramfalviOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ An anti-abortion judge overseeing a Texas lawsuit that could ban an abortion pill wanted to delay announcing the hearing date, The Washington Post reported
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk is overseeing a lawsuit that challenges the FDA approval of mifepristone. A hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, but the judge hoped to delay publicizing the date, per WaPo. But the Texas judge overseeing the case — who is known for his conservative politics and anti-abortion stance — hoped to hide the date of the hearing until right before the scheduled date, The Washington Post reported. In addition, he told attorneys on the call that members of the courthouse have received threats due to the lawsuit, the Post reported. According to the report, the Post had attempted to seek information about the date of the hearing before the Friday call but received no response.

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to offer a defense of the abortion drug mifepristone in a meeting on Friday, according to a White House official, as some activist groups work to end U.S. sales of the pill. Medication abortion has drawn increasing attention since the U.S. Supreme Court last year reversed its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which had guaranteed abortion rights nationwide. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, directed federal agencies to expand access to medication abortion in response to the decision, which has allowed more than a dozen Republican-led states to adopt new abortion bans. Mifepristone is approved for medication abortion in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy in combination with another drug, misoprostol. Medication abortion accounts for more than half of U.S. abortions.

Feb 21 (Reuters) - A Texas federal judge on Tuesday refused to set an accelerated trial schedule for a lawsuit by anti-abortion groups seeking to end U.S. sales of the abortion pill mifepristone, in a case that could severely disrupt access to medication abortion nationwide. Mifepristone is approved for medication abortion in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy in combination with another drug, misoprostol. Medication abortion accounts for more than half of U.S. abortions. Medication abortion has drawn increasing attention since the U.S. Supreme Court last year reversed its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which had guaranteed abortion rights nationwide. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, directed federal agencies to expand access to medication abortion in response to the decision, which has allowed more than a dozen Republican-led states to adopt new abortion bans.

☆ Childbirth is far more dangerous for women than the abortion pill, American Medical Association tells the Texas judge weighing mifepristone ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The American Medical Association is urging a Texas judge to reject an effort to ban mifepristone. This is not an opinion — it is a fact based on hundreds of medical studies and vast amounts of data amassed over the course of two decades," the brief states. But pregnant teenagers, the medical groups note, have levels of progesterone far greater than their non-pregnant peers. "There is no reason to think, nor is there evidence to show, that preventing the absorption of progesterone for a brief window would have any effects on adolescent development," the brief states. Republican attorneys general also submitted a brief arguing that the availability of the drug infringes on the right of states to regulate abortion.

☆ The FDA's power to approve drugs faces sweeping challenge in lawsuit seeking to pull abortion pill from U.S. market
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine asked a federal district court in Dallas late last year to declare the FDA approval unlawful and completely remove the abortion pill from the U.S. market. If the lawsuit prevails, women across the U.S. would lose access, at least temporarily, to the most commonly used abortion method. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk is hearing the challenge to the FDA's approval of the abortion pill. Lawrence Gostin, an expert on public health law at Georgetown Law, said it would be "highly irresponsible" and "reckless" for a judge to overturn the FDA approval of mifepristone. Under federal law, lawsuits against the U.S. government must be filed within six years of an agency action.

Medication abortion has drawn increasing attention since the U.S. Supreme Court last June overturned its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that had legalized abortion nationwide. Nearly all abortions, including medication abortions, are now banned in 12 states, and 16 states that permit some abortions also had laws restricting medication abortion as of November, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. "The FDA, by approving chemical abortion drugs for home use, puts a woman or girl's life at risk." In its court filing, the FDA said there was no basis for second-guessing the FDA's judgment. The FDA said that pulling the drug would force patients seeking abortions in many cases to undergo unnecessary and more invasive surgical abortion.

Walgreens and CVS will sell the prescription abortion pill mifepristone after the Food and Drug Administration this week dropped a long-standing rule that prevented drug stores from doing so. The decision by the two largest drug store chains in the U.S. will significantly expand access to mifepristone in states where abortion is legal. The FDA on Tuesday changed its regulations to allow retail drug stores to dispense mifepristone so long as they complete a certification process. The agency dropped a long-standing rule that required patients to obtain the abortion pill in-person at clinics, hospitals and other certified health-care providers. CVS also plans to get certified in states where it is legal to do so, spokesperson Amy Thibault said.

☆ FDA finalizes rule expanding availability of abortion pills
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday finalized a rule change that broadens availability of abortion pills to many more pharmacies, including large chains and mail-order companies. Still, the rule change’s impact has been blunted by numerous state laws limiting abortion broadly and the pills specifically. Legal experts foresee years of court battles over access to the pills, as abortion-rights proponents bring test cases to challenge state restrictions. Two drugmakers that make brand-name and generic versions of abortion pills requested the latest FDA label update. The FDA in 2000 approved mifepristone to terminate pregnancies of up to 10 weeks, when used with a second drug, misoprostol.

☆ Pharmacies can now sell the abortion pill, but you probably won't find it at top chains like CVS, Walmart, or Walgreens anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Ben Tobin | Sarah Braner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The FDA authorized retail pharmacies to become certified to carry mifepristone in a ruling Tuesday. Retailers may not sell the abortion pill due to administrative hurdles and backlash, experts say. But don't expect to be able to find the pill at your local Walmart or CVS any time soon. The FDA implemented the regulatory change Tuesday night to allow retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone to people with a prescription. Insider contacted seven major retail pharmacies to ask whether they plan to sell mifepristone.

☆ Fact Check-No raw fish is considered safe during pregnancy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pregnant people can eat certain types of cooked fish safely, but there is no raw fish considered safe to eat while pregnant because the risk to both mother and fetus from bacterial and parasitic infections is too great, according to guidelines. A spokesperson for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists pointed to the organization’s guide to pregnancy and childbirth, which also advises avoiding all raw fish, including sushi and sashimi (here) (here). Most obstetrician-gynecologists believe that eating raw fish during pregnancy is unsafe and that parasitic infections caused by eating raw fish are harder to treat in pregnant women because of the danger of fetal exposure to anti-parasitic medications, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (here). An article from theBUMP.com, updated in 2020, summarizes FDA guidelines in a chart listing the cooked fish and shellfish that are considered safe to eat during pregnancy (here). Eating raw fish is not considered safe for pregnant people or their fetuses because of the increased risk of parasitic and bacterial infections.

☆ During the holidays, the ER does far more than what it is meant to do
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Dr. Owais Durrani | Dr. Owais Durrani Is An Emergency Medicine Physician In Houston | Tx. Dr. Durrani Has A Background In Political Science | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Patients’ ER experiences typically consist of long wait times, and that naturally leads to frustration and a frequent misunderstanding that nothing is being done or that they are being diagnosed improperly. The truth is our emergency departments have had to take on a lot more than that, serving as the safety net of the country’s entire health care system. You’ve heard this over and over — our health care system is broken. We have lost valuable physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and other vital members of the health care system. We have a very different health care system and training of physicians than those countries.

☆ Period underwear FAQS — answered
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Period underwear has grown popular over the past few years for several reasons. Period underwear brands offer a variety of absorbencies since people have different flows. Does period underwear affect symptoms and period length? Some people on social media platforms and product reviews have reported a lighter flow or shorter period while wearing period underwear. “People should be able to access and use whatever type of period management tools that work best for them, including period underwear,” Brandi said.

The number of pregnant women and new mothers dying from drug overdoses grew dramatically as the pandemic took hold, reaching a record high in 2020, a new study finds. "It goes to an ever higher level of stigma among pregnant women." She does not work with pregnant women or those with substance use disorder, but did crunch the numbers for the new research. "Overdose deaths in general have increased, and pregnant women aren't immune to the effects of addiction," Wright said. A Biden administration report, released in October, called for broader access to opioid treatment medication among pregnant women and de-stigmatize addiction treatment during pregnancy.

☆ Unvaccinated infants were hospitalized with Covid more this summer than most age groups, CDC says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The average weekly hospitalization rate among young infants during this period was about 13.7 per 100,000. Fortunately, the surge in hospitalizations among young infants was not associated with increased severity. The spike in hospitalizations among young infants was due to high community transmission of the virus during omicron, according to CDC. The threshold for admitting young infants is also much lower than older children. Infants younger than six months are the only age group in the U.S. ineligible for the shots.

In reversing the half-century precedent, the court left the power to limit or grant abortion rights to the states. In August, a judge temporarily blocked enforcement of the anti-abortion law, which had been inactive in the decades that Roe v. Wade stood. Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic incumbent, has been a champion for abortion rights, but she is fending off a challenge from Republican candidate Tudor Dixon, who called the abortion ballot proposition “radical” in a debate with her. Voters will determine whether to alter the state constitution to explicitly say it does not protect a right to abortion or abortion funding. Abortion rights advocates are challenging those laws.

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