Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio Welcomes Temporary Stay on Medication Abortion Restrictions
For Immediate Release: April 14, 2023
Mifepristone is available to Ohio patients through at least April 19
COLUMBUS – Today, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito issued an administrative stay putting a temporary halt to lower court rulings that had set limits on access to the abortion pill, mifepristone, through Wednesday, April 19. This case is the first major abortion case to reach the court since it eliminated the constitutional right to abortion in June 2022.
As of today, abortion is still legal in Ohio, including medication abortion.
Although we do not know the future of this case past the stay through Wednesday, this temporary reprieve means that health care providers such as Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio can continue to prescribe the abortion medication, mifepristone.
Ensuring that Ohioans have equal access to medication abortion helps give everyone the ability to make their own decisions about their reproductive lives and futures. To date, mifepristone is used in more than half of abortions. PPGOH welcomes the granting of this temporary stay today, but is not losing sight of the fact that this baseless lawsuit demonstrates that anti-abortion politicians won’t stop at the overturning of Roe v. Wade to dismantle sexual and reproductive health care.
The decision from the Supreme Court comes after a Texas judge made an unprecedented move to block the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. Their decision ignored the science that mifepristone is safe, effective, and has been used by more than five million people since the FDA approved it more than 20 years ago.
As we prepare for a full decision from the Court, we understand the catastrophic precedent this case could create by going against the FDA’s scientific judgment and limiting access to other FDA-approved medications. Together, we will continue to push for a future where all can access essential health care including abortion, free from restriction and stigma.
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Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio operates 17 health centers throughout Ohio, offering reproductive health care services for generations of Ohioans; supporting people of color, those with low incomes, and the LGBTQ+ community. PPGOH is committed to the health and safety of Ohio residents by doing everything they can to ensure everyone has access to the full range of reproductive health care, including safe and legal abortion.