Supreme Court Delays Ruling on Abortion Case Until After the Election

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2020
Contact: Nikki Metzgar, nmetzgar@napawf.org

(WASHINGTON)—Today, the Supreme Court of the United States delayed ruling on the Trump administration’s restrictions on mifepristone, one of two drugs used together as medication abortion to end pregnancies and as miscarriage management. Despite 20 years of safe use, the FDA still restricts how medication abortion care is dispensed. 

In July, a lower court judge suspended FDA guidelines that required patients who are prescribed mifepristone to travel to a hospital, clinic, or medical office to pick up the medication, rather than fill the prescription by mail, for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. In response, the Trump administration filed an emergency request to the Supreme Court to have the rule reinstated. The Supreme Court delayed ruling on the stay and sent the case back to the lower court, until after the election. However, the injunction is still in place.

Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director of National Asian Pacific Women’s Forum, released the following statement:

“Barriers to abortion care are bigger and more numerous for women of color, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — communities who are disproportionately suffering the health and economic effects of COVID-19. Adding to the exposure risks we face by maintaining restrictions that block our access to essential health care is cruel.

“Even before the pandemic, requiring patients to make an in-person visit to a clinician to receive these safe and effective medications that could be dispensed at pharmacies or by mail made it harder for people to get abortion care and offered no medical benefit. Imposing an outdated and unnecessary obstacle to care on pregnant people who already face language barriers in the medical setting, fear discrimination from their health care providers, or otherwise lack access to high quality and culturally informed care is unconscionable. As a result of these restrictions, many patients are delayed in accessing time-sensitive care, or unable to obtain an abortion at all.

“Lifting the restrictions on medication abortion can dramatically expand access. People should be able to get the care and information they need to have an abortion on their own terms, whether that is at a clinic or in their home, and without fear of punishment. It is past time for lawmakers and public health officials to recognize abortion care for what it is, essential health care, eliminate outdated restrictions that limit access to medication abortion, and halt all criminalization of people who self-manage their abortions and those who support them.

“We still have significant work to do until pregnant people can have control over their lives, their families, and their communities.”

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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.