Louisiana is Making it Harder for Women to Access Reproductive Health Care
Sources: NBC, ABC News, CBS News
What’s Happening?
Effective October 1st, medication abortion pills will be categorized as “controlled dangerous substances” under a new Louisiana law. Individuals who possess mifepristone or misoprostol (commonly used in medication abortion pills) without a valid prescription or medical professionals who order these medications could face up to five years in prison. However, pregnant people who obtain these medications for their own consumption would not be criminalized under the new law, the first of its kind in the nation.
Beyond abortion care, this law could pose further harm to maternal health, as mifepristone and misoprostol are also used to aid with labor, delivery, and treating miscarriages. Abortion is currently banned in Louisiana with limited exceptions for saving a pregnant patient’s life, preventing “serious risk” to their health, or when a fetus is not expected to survive. There are no exceptions for cases of rape or incest.
Why this is a feminist issue:
By categorizing mifepristone and misoprostol alongside opioids, depressants, and other potentially addictive substances, the law aims to make them more difficult to access and punish women for accessing reproductive health care. At the federal level, mifepristone and misoprostol are not classified as controlled substances and can be used independently to treat other medical conditions.
More about Mifepristone:
ITS IMPORTANCE
Mifepristone is used in more than half of all abortions in the United States and is used for safely managing miscarriages
Over five million women across the United States have used mifepristone to end their pregnancies
Nearly 100 other countries have approved the use of the drug (Guttmacher Institute)
SAFETY AND EFFICACY
Mifepristone was initially approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000. Extensive research has consistently demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of the medication, further underscoring its importance in reproductive healthcare.
The F.D.A. has forcefully countered claims contending that the drug is safe and effective. It has cited a series of studies that show that serious complications are rare. The agency applies a special regulatory framework to mifepristone, meaning that it has been regulated much more strictly and studied more intensively than most other drugs.While the timeline from oral argument to a decision can vary, a decision is expected by this summer.
Despite the legal challenges, the medication remains available to patients.
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION:
👉 If you or someone you know is seeking an abortion visit @ineedanacom @abortionpil
👉 Learn more about the state of abortion rights in the U.S. and around the world in our FEMINIST Abortion Action Toolkit.
👉 Learn how to get abortion pills by mail in all 50 states @plancpills @aidaccess
