Texas Judge Says States Can Revive Challenge to Abortion Pill Access Nationwide
Associated Press, January 17, 2025
The Texas judge who previously halted approval of the nation’s most common method of abortion ruled Thursday that three states can move ahead with another attempt to roll back federal rules and make it harder for people across the U.S. to access the abortion drug mifepristone. Idaho, Kansas and Missouri requested late last year to pursue the case in federal court in Amarillo, Texas, after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a narrow ruling finding that abortion opponents who first filed the case lacked the legal right to sue. The only federal judge based in Amarillo is Matthew Kacsmaryk, a nominee of former President Donald Trump who in recent years ruled against the Biden administration on several issues, including immigration and LGBTQ protections. The states want the federal Food and Drug Administration to prohibit telehealth prescriptions for mifepristone and require that it be used only in the first seven weeks of pregnancy instead of the current limit of 10 weeks. They also want to require three in-person doctor office visits instead of none to get the drug.
Government Website Offering Reproductive Health Information Goes Offline
CBS News, January 20, 2025
Government website reproductiverights.gov appeared to be offline on the evening of President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The site, launched in 2022 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of a public awareness campaign, contained information on access to abortion and reproductive health care and a Know-Your-Rights patient fact sheet.”Reproductive health care, including access to birth control and safe and legal abortion care, is an essential part of your health and well-being,” a statement on the website read. “While Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortion remains legal in many states, and other reproductive health care services remain protected by law.” The site affirmed that most employer-based health plans and private health insurance plans are required to cover certain prescription birth control methods under the Affordable Care Act, which Trump has made calls to repeal. It also displayed a list of other services covered by most insurance plans, including breast and cervical cancer screenings, prenatal care and HIV screenings. The site reiterated that while abortion legality varies by state, Mifepristone, in a regimen with misoprostol – otherwise known as a medication abortion – has been approved by the FDA and is safe and effective when used correctly.
Lawmakers in at Least Seven States Seek Expanded Abortion Access
ProPublica, January 17, 2025
In advance of this year’s state legislative sessions, lawmakers are filing more than a dozen bills to expand abortion access in at least seven states, and a separate bill introduced in Texas seeks to examine the impact that the state’s abortion ban has had on maternal outcomes. Some were filed in direct response to ProPublica’s reporting on the fatal consequences of such laws. Others were submitted for a second or third year in a row, but with new optimism that they will gain traction this time. The difference now is the unavoidable reality: Multiple women, in multiple states with abortion bans, have died after they couldn’t get lifesaving care. They all needed a procedure used to empty the uterus, either dilation and curettage or its second-trimester equivalent. Both are used for abortions, but they are also standard medical care for miscarriages, helping patients avoid complications like hemorrhage and sepsis. But ProPublica found that doctors, facing prison time if they violate state abortion restrictions, are hesitating to provide the procedures. So far, efforts to expand abortion access in more than a dozen states where bans were in effect have faced stiff opposition, and lawmakers introducing the bills said they don’t expect that to change. And some lawmakers, advocates and medical experts argue that even if exceptions are in place, doctors and hospitals will remain skittish about intervening.
Study Shows Growing Support Nationwide for Expanded Access to Abortion Pills
Idaho Capital Sun, January 23, 2025
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 to allow states to regulate abortion access, support for expanded access to abortion pills has significantly increased, including among those living in states with abortion bans, according to a new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association. A sample of more than 7,000 women nationwide between the ages of 15 and 49 answered surveys in December 2021 prior to the Dobbs decision, and a random sampling of half the same population was surveyed again in June 2023 after the decision. The surveys gauged support for two models of expanded access to medication abortion: advance provision – when medication is obtained before a pregnancy and reserved for future use if necessary – and over-the-counter access at a local pharmacy or other retailer without a prescription. Those who favored both models increased from about 49% in 2021 to 55% in 2023, while those who were opposed dropped from about 35% to 32%.
Birth Control Access, Resources for Expecting Mothers, Expanded Under New Michigan Laws
CBS News, January 22, 2025
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a package of bills Wednesday addressing birth control access and maternity care options. Overall, the collection of bills is intended to allow easier access to birth control and emergency contraception; while also improving options and resources for pregnancy, newborn and postpartum care. “These bills will save women time and money so they can access the birth control they need and cut unnecessary red tape that stands between people and their health care,” Whitmer said in the announcement. “Whether you’re getting ready to start a family or figuring out which contraceptive option is best for you, I’ll fight to make sure you have the freedom to make that choice.” One of the major changes, through House Bills 5435 and 5436, involves allowing a pharmacist to directly prescribe birth control rather than waiting for a doctor prescription. State law will also require insurance companies to cover the cost of such pharmacist-approved medication. That option goes into effect in April. The press release from Whitmer’s office explains that Michigan currently has a shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists who normally issue those prescriptions; and about 1/3 of the state’s Michigan counties have no OB/GYN specialists at all. Planned Parenthood officials in Michigan are among those who praised that step, citing statistics from the Centers for Disease Control that eight out of 10 women have used birth control pills at some point in their lives. In a related matter, Planned Parenthood said, two out of 10 women have used emergency contraception at some point.
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
Today would have marked 52 years of Roe v Wade being the law of the land. Since Roe fell, we’ve lost more than we know, from economic losses to loss of access to life-saving reproductive care. https://t.co/sGHnqNgtQK
— National Partnership (@NPWF) January 22, 2025
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Note: The information contained in this publication reflects media coverage of women’s health issues and does not necessarily reflect the views of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
