The Court’s decision to reinstate patient safeguards is a victory for the pro-life movement.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion Wednesday in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. The court vacated in part and affirmed in part the district court’s order.
Carolyn McDonnell, litigation counsel at Americans United for Life, said, “Although the decision won’t rescind the FDA’s approval of these dangerous drugs, it still reinstates critical health and safety safeguards for women and girls seeking them.”
McDonnell continued: “The decision reestablishes the in-person dispensing requirement, which ensures women and girls may receive ultrasounds to determine the gestational age of the child and rule out dangerous ectopic pregnancies. It also allows in-person screening for intimate partner violence and reproductive control, which are pressing concerns for women and girls seeking abortion.”
Danielle Pimentel, policy counsel at Americans United for Life, said, “While the Fifth Circuit’s decision was not what we hoped for, the Court’s decision to reinstate patient safeguards is still a victory for the pro-life movement.”
Pimentel added, “Clearly, the Fifth Circuit saw the need to reverse the FDA’s reckless actions of loosening patient safeguards in order to protect the health and safety of women and girls seeking chemical abortion drugs.”
For recent AUL statements on the ongoing litigation, see below.
147 Members of Congress Urge Supreme Court to Keep Health and Safety Safeguards for Abortion Drugs (4.18.23)
FDA Approval of Chemical Abortion Pills Is Suspended (4.7.23)
FDA’s Actions Endanger Women and Girls Seeking Chemical Abortion Drugs (2.13.23)
