In the past few years, the Republican Party has become increasingly firm on its “pro-life” stance and has heavily restricted abortion access nationwide. With Roe v. Wade being overturned and SB 8 completely banning abortions in Texas, what is next in the push against abortion access? 

On April 7, a federal judge in Texas suspended the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the medication mifepristone. The medication was originally approved by the FDA in 2000 as a safe option to end intrauterine pregnancies up to 10 weeks. Abortions are most commonly done using medication; the most prevalent medication in use is mifepristone in combination with misoprostol. Mifepristone works by blocking progesterone — a vital hormone needed to support pregnancy — while misoprostol causes the uterus to contract and empty. While working in tandem, these medications have a 100% success rate at terminating a pregnancy up to 10 weeks after conception, according to a 2015 Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology study. 

On April 12, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit appealed the ban on mifepristone but added temporary constraints. When originally appealed, mifepristone was only approved for terminating pregnancies up to seven weeks as well as banning medical professionals from mailing the medication. Following the restrictions, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito blocked the lower court rulings and temporarily restored full mifepristone access on April 14. 

The GOP’s blatant attacks on access to safe abortions are disgusting and go directly against the word of medical professionals across the nation. Abortions are a life-saving procedure whether you agree with their use as a preventive pregnancy measure or not. The Republican Party does not care about the opinion of doctors or the safety of their constituents; all is well as long as they push their agenda on the nation.