Supreme Court to Review Telehealth Abortion Pill Access

The upcoming case may alter the FDA's 2016 decision, affecting millions who rely on telehealth for abortion pills.

A Supreme Court case next week could significantly impact access to mifepristone, a key drug in medication abortions, challenging the FDA's 2016 decision to expand its accessibility.
Telehealth has become a vital resource for obtaining abortion pills, especially in states with restrictive abortion laws, with telemedicine abortions accounting for 16% of all abortions from June to September 2023.
Research indicates that mifepristone is safe and effective for use in the first trimester, and studies suggesting high complication rates have been retracted due to concerns about their methodology.
The population utilizing telehealth for abortions tends to be wealthier, older, and White, contrasting with those who seek abortions in clinics, who are disproportionately Black and Latinx.
Emergency room visits following medication abortions are often not due to emergencies or safety concerns with mifepristone, but for other reasons such as confirming the procedure's success.