Medication abortion will be a lifeline, but it tees up new legal battles

Medication abortions already represent more than half of all legal abortions in the U.S., and could become a lifeline to people in states that have banned abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. It’s a lot harder to prevent people from getting unmarked packages through the mail than it is to close down clinics.

There are likely to be legal battles over whether states can ban a medication approved by the FDA, and Attorney General Merrick Garland will back up the right to obtain this federally approved medication. 

“We stand ready to work with other arms of the federal government that seek to use their lawful authorities to protect and preserve access to reproductive care,” he said in a statement. “States may not ban mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDA's expert judgment about its safety and efficacy.”

RELATED STORY: The forced birther nightmare is here, get ready to keep hearing about it