Today, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine and Danco Laboratories v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, which could threaten access to mifepristone, one of the medications used in medication abortion care.
Dr. Jamila Perritt, President & CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health and ob/gyn in DC, was in front of the Supreme Court during oral argument, where she made clear that medication abortion is safe, effective, and absolutely essential for our communities.
Following the arguments, Dr. Perritt’s responded with this statement:
“Today, I was honored to be in community with advocates, physicians, lawyers, and patients rallying in front of the Supreme Court to make it clear that abortion care isn’t going anywhere. Medication abortion care is safe, effective, and our communities need access to this care readily and without barrier. As a reminder, today’s oral arguments do not impact current access to mifepristone.
Today’s oral arguments made it clear that the FDA’s approval of mifepristone should not be second-guessed.
“During the oral arguments, it was clear that at least some of the Supreme Court Justices were skeptical of anti-abortion claims attempting to restrict access to mifepristone. This skepticism is warranted. We know that the FDA approved mifepristone and continued to update its recommendations for mifepristone’s use based on careful review of the decades of scientific and medical research on mifepristone’s safety and efficacy. Today’s oral arguments made it clear that the FDA’s approval of mifepristone should not be second-guessed.
“While we were heartened to hear some arguments rooted in the facts we know about medication abortion, we know that the Court does not always side with what is best for our communities. As we await the Court’s final decision in the coming months, we urge the Court to continue to center evidence, science, the real needs of people who need abortion care, and the real expertise of health care professionals who provide this care.”
