Supreme Court Rejects Stricter Regulations on Abortion Drugs

The Supreme Court rejected a bid by Arizona to place stricter regulations on how and when woman can take abortion drugs this past Monday.

Arizona’s bid would prohibit the use of abortion-inducing medications such as mifepristone after the seventh week of pregnancy as opposed to the ninth, and would require women to take the medication at a clinic instead of at home. The state of Arizona tried to justify the restrictions, but the Supreme Court ultimately chose to leave in place the ruling that blocks the proposed bid.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of mifepristone in 2000, but the state of Arizona argued its case by saying there have been at least eight deaths of women who used the drugs. However, the Supreme Court countered that an FDA investigation found no causal connection between the deaths and the use of mifepristone.

Planned Parenthood was present during the hearing and challenged Arizona’s bid, saying that medical abortions account for more than 40% of abortions at clinics. Clinical trials of mifepristone have shown the drug is not only safe, but can be effective in much smaller doses.