April 13, 2023 - Last night, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a ruling in the appeal of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, reinstating prior restrictions on the use of mifepristone. We want to be clear: this decision has no basis in science or administrative law. This ruling supports unverified claims of anti-abortion extremists and is designed to block access and create chaos, confusion, and fear. This new ruling will cause harm by restricting access to essential healthcare. It is a political strategy to block abortion across the U.S. and to discourage pregnant people from seeking access to abortion care.
We do not yet know how the ruling will be interpreted by the companies that distribute mifepristone, medical providers, and the courts.
What we do know: There is overwhelming evidence that mifepristone is safe and effective. No matter what courts and politicians have to say about it, there is — and will remain — a robust alternate supply of pills via Aid Access, websites that sell pills, and community networks like Las Libres, Red State Access, and WeSaveUs. Free resources for medical and legal support for self-managed abortion with pills are available to help people understand their options and make decisions that meet their needs in the face of these unjust restrictions.
Medication abortion will go on.
Abortion is basic health care and we deserve full, legal access to mifepristone through clinics, telehealth, and self-managed sources in every zip code in our country. Plan C will continue to provide research-based information about where to obtain medication abortion throughout this fight.