Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC Lauds Supreme Court’s Decision to Protect Access to Medication Abortion
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) struck down a challenge targeting FDA approval, and subsequently, the availability, of mifepristone, one of two pills commonly used in medication abortions, in the case U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. The unanimous decision stated that the plaintiffs did not have legal standing to bring the lawsuit forward and upholds access to safe abortions and reproductive care on that basis.
The case was the first abortion-related case heard by the Supreme Court since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. The decision comes as a victory for Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Asian American Justice Center (Advancing Justice – AAJC) and the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), who filed an amicus brief in February on behalf of themselves and other AANHPI, Black, and immigrant women’s organizations urging the Court to protect access to medication abortion.
For many AANHPI women and other women of color, a SCOTUS ruling otherwise would have threatened their bodily autonomy and further barred them from access to safe and effective abortion care. A report by NAPAWF found that AANHPI women in particular were twice as likely to choose medication abortion over other methods.
Shalaka Phadnis, Litigation Staff Attorney at Advancing Justice – AAJC, released the following statement:
“We are glad that the Supreme Court has chosen to preserve access to mifepristone. The ruling upholds the right of all Americans, but especially of women of color, who are already disproportionately affected by abortion restrictions, to make their own private choices for their healthcare. Patients deserve to have access to lifesaving and time-sensitive care.
Still, it cannot go unsaid that this case was baseless from the start. Mifepristone has been safely used by over 6 million people since FDA approval nearly a quarter century ago. It is used in over two-thirds of abortions around the country and considered the gold standard in miscarriage treatment. This attempt to discredit mifepristone is the latest part of anti-abortion advocates’ strategy to attack vital reproductive health care in the United States. To echo our partners at NAPAWF, we still have a long way to go to achieve meaningful reproductive justice.
It is crucial that we continue to advocate for policies that prioritize accessible reproductive healthcare and protect the bodily autonomy of all women, regardless of background. Reproductive care – and the lack thereof – has repercussions for the broader population. We will continue our fight to ensure those rights are protected.”