Supreme Court Upholds Mifepristone Access in Unanimous Decision

Introduction

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, a group of anti-abortion activists sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, challenging its approval of mifepristone, a drug commonly used in medical abortions - [Also listed on the WHO List of Essential Medicines]. A federal judge initially suspended the FDA's approval of the drug, but a subsequent decision by a court of appeals reinstated approval while simultaneously striking down the FDA's previous changes in 2016 to ease access.

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"We are pleased that the court has preserved access to this drug. Policies based on the concept that abortion is harmful to women's mental health are not supported by scientific evidence. Research has consistently shown that having an abortion is not linked to mental health problems, but people who are denied abortions have worse physical and mental health, as well as economic outcomes," said APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD.

In a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court ruled that the anti-abortion groups that initially sued the FDA lacked standing to bring the case in the first place, leaving all previous FDA actions intact.

In conjunction with the National Association of Social Workers, APA submitted an amicus brief supporting the FDA in the Supreme Court case, arguing that the lower courts' decisions "incorrectly asserted that medication abortion is linked to negative physical and mental health outcomes."

The brief sought "to make this Court aware of the flawed evidence undergirding the lower courts' reasoning in these cases," providing scientific evidence that not only were voluntary abortions not associated with negative physical or mental health outcomes, but denial of access to abortion care leads to greater levels of anxiety, lower self-esteem and negative socio-economic and physical health outcomes.

APA has long been a voice for equal access to reproductive health services. The association has passed four policies or resolutions since 1969 affirming a woman's right to choose and negating assertions regarding the alleged adverse psychological effects of abortion. APA has also filed 12 amicus curiae briefs in cases involving abortion. The most recent policy was passed in February 2022.

For more information regarding APA's advocacy and the science surrounding abortion and reproductive health, visit APA's abortion and mental health webpage.

Related Information

• Possible Denial of Drugs for Women with MS, Migraine, Epilepsy Due to Abortion Ban: The University of California, San Francisco perspective article says abortion ban ruling may result in an increased risk of deaths, disability.
• Care for Women Who Miscarriage May Be Compromised in States Restricting Abortion: A female who miscarriages in U.S. states with restrictive abortion policies may be less likely to receive optimal care than in states with supportive abortion policies.
• Psychiatric Harm from Restricting Access to Abortion: Severe stress from an inability to access abortion harms the fetus and can trigger psychiatric illness, suicide, or postpartum psychosis in the mother.
• 25 Million Unsafe Abortions Annually Worldwide: A study by WHO and the Guttmacher Institute reveals majority of unsafe abortions occurred in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• FDA Approves Ella Abortion Drug as Emergency Contraceptive: Ella is a drug that can cause abortions but is misleadingly labeled as an effective Emergency Contraceptive.
• Trust in U.S. Supreme Court Plummets Due to Rising Political Polarization: Survey exposes declining public confidence in Supreme Court approval and legitimacy process.
• Care for Women Who Miscarriage May Be Compromised in States Restricting Abortion: A female who miscarriages in U.S. states with restrictive abortion policies may be less likely to receive optimal care than in states with supportive abortion policies.

Attribution/Source(s):
This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its significant relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by American Psychological Association (APA), and published on 2024/06/14 (Edit Update: 2024/07/12), the content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, American Psychological Association (APA) can be contacted at apa.org. NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.