For Immediate Release: December 13, 2023
Contact: Randy Bunnao, rbunnao@napawf.org

Washington DC – Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a case that threatens future access to mifepristone, a medication abortion pill widely used across the United States.

“Communities of color, especially women and girls living in states with abortion bans, will be most impacted by a decision to restrict access to mifepristone,” said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director at the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF). 

“People seeking an abortion should have access to the full array of abortion care options based on long-standing, evidence-based medical research. Mifepristone is one of two medications used in the most common medication abortion regimen used in the U.S. It is safe, effective, and has been used by more than 5 million people since it was approved by the FDA 23 years ago.”

While access to and approval of mifepristone remains unchanged at this time, actions by the court threatening the future availability of mifepristone will impact access to abortion care for Asian American and Pacific Islander women and girls. 

More than a quarter of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women live in the 26 states that have banned or are likely to ban abortion. A recent report by NAPAWF found that AAPI communities face significant language and cultural barriers to accessing abortion care with 35% of AAPI women reporting to have never heard of medication abortion. Additionally, 47% of AAPI women reported not knowing where to access medication abortion pills if they needed it. 

For this case, the Court granted only petitions from the FDA and Danco, a drug manufacturing company. It is expected that arguments will take place in the spring of 2024, with a decision by next summer.

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build collective power so that all AAPI women and girls can have full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities.