Amarillo By Morning: Suitin’ Up for Abortion Pills Suit
The anti-abortionists are at it again. This time, they’re a Christian legal group out of Amarillo that wants to revoke access to medical abortion resources at the federal level. Let’s dive into this crucial case that is threatening the availability of medical abortion pill Mifepristone to everyone.
The Case at Hand: ADF vs. FDA
In late November, the conservative Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom sued the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services in federal court in Texas on behalf of a collective of anti-abortion activists. The suit seeks to reverse the FDA’s approval of Mifepristone, one of the pills used in the medication abortion regimen.
If the judge issues an injunction requiring that the federal government pull mifepristone from the market immediately, that will impact patients across the country regardless of whether abortion remains legal in their state. While misoprostol on its own also safely terminates a pregnancy, it has generally been considered a less effective method than the two-step regime.
An appeal would go to the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, one of the most conservative courts in the nation, and could ultimately land before the conservative supermajority in the Supreme Court.
What are “Abortion Pills?”
The following points are courtesy of Abortion On Our Own Terms.
Abortion pills are medications used to end a pregnancy. The pills can consist of a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, or misoprostol alone. In some places, abortion pills are available over the counter or online, and can be taken at home or another location without a provider, which is a form of self-managed abortion. For decades, these pills have been used safely by people around the world, both in and outside of clinical settings.
Mifepristone and misoprostol are the two medicines that make up the regimen for one type of medication abortion.
The first, mifepristone, works by blocking progesterone, a hormone essential to advancing pregnancy. The second medication, misoprostol, which is typically taken 24-48 hours later, empties the uterus.
Misoprostol can also be taken on its own — this is the second type of medication abortion.
The Cold, Hard Facts.
Abortions are a part of the full spectrum of pregnancy care. All pregnant people should be able to access abortions when they need them and in a setting where they feel comfortable. This means in clinical settings as well as being at home surrounded by family, doulas, or with their support system.
Politicians who are threatening retail pharmacies are moving their extreme anti-abortion agenda forward to further strip away access to abortion all across the country.
Any threat to abortion access is a threat to everyone's bodily autonomy. The criminalization of abortion further emboldens police, ICE, and other law enforcement agencies to surveil and investigate people for their pregnancy outcomes.
Communities who are already facing systemic oppression from these agencies such as immigrants, Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color, as well as other marginalized communities, will likely be targeted and experience more adverse impacts of abortion restrictions.
Anti-abortion extremists are using fear and stigma to advance their agenda of stripping everyone of bodily autonomy.
This case is about one thing: anti-abortion radicals believe that they should get to control the rest of our bodies, lives, and futures. They were emboldened by the fall of Roe —now, they think they can get away with restricting abortion access even further.
How You Can Help
Access to abortion pills is on the line, and we’re activating our network to take on the bad actors who want to abuse the legal system to attack our human rights.
Donate to TEA Fund
As we saw with the Dobbs decision in 2022, we know that we cannot count on the legal system to protect our bodily autonomy. We have to do it ourselves. We keep each other safe. Now, we’re counting on your IMMEDIATE support to power our mobilization this week. Make a donation or become a sustainable donor as a GEM at TEA Fund to support our continued efforts to protect our community to the best of our ability.
Our Text Line is Open
Our TEA Fund volunteers are hard at work on our text line to provide Texans more information about abortion care in Texas. Anyone can connect with our team at 844-TEA-FUND or 844-832-3863 via text message only. Standard rates and fees apply.
Stay safe, take care of each other - we certainly are going to try our damnest.
