Ah, the old tug-of-war between pro-choice and pro-life advocates continues. In recent years, mifepristone has become quite the popular choice of rug regimen to terminate pregnancies, accounting for more than half of abortions in the United States. Apparently, over five million women have hopped on this bandwagon, and many countries have given it the green light too.

But the good ol’ F.D.A. has been giving it the side-eye and has been taking steps to limit its distribution. Federal judges questioned their motives, though, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans has allowed the drug to stay on the market. However, they’ve also made it way harder to get a hold of, much like that sold-out concert ticket you’ve been eyeing for months.

In essence, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit wants us to time-travel back to a simpler time, like 2016 when the F.D.A. added guidelines to make it more easily accessible. But the new restrictions mean that the mail option is off the table. So patients are going to have to ditch work, pay for travel expenses just to go to a medical office, and then bask in the shame of seeking an abortion…publicly.

It’s not just a tough pill to swallow; it’s a bitter one. This decision will have significant consequences. For starters, it’ll be like seeking that hard-to-find Pokémon; instead, this time, the catch is an abortion. Legal experts are weighing in, stating that medical providers everywhere in the country can now challenge the F.D.A.’s approval of medications. Looks like the anti-abortion medical coalition’s lawsuit is just the beginning.

Serious News: nytimes