Wisconsin Right to Life issued the following statement today after the United States Supreme Court issued a temporary order allowing continued mail-order access to mifepristone, a chemical abortion drug.
“This action by the Supreme Court is not a final ruling on the merits, but it highlights the ongoing legal and medical concerns surrounding these drugs,” said Samantha Marshall, Director of Advocacy, Policy & Political Affairs for Wisconsin Right to Life.
The challenged regulations stem from FDA decisions made during the COVID-19 pandemic that loosened longstanding safety protocols, including permitting abortion drugs to be prescribed and delivered by mail. Prior policies required in-person visits to ensure proper medical oversight and patient safety.
Marshall raised serious concerns about patient consent and coercion under the current framework. “We know these drugs can be ordered by someone other than the pregnant woman, and documented cases of coercion exist,” she said. “When the prescribing physician is located in another state or another country and has no relationship with the patient, there is no reliable way to ensure a woman is making a fully informed and voluntary decision.”
Public opinion data supports stronger safeguards. A recent national survey found that more than 70 percent of voters agreed that a doctor’s visit should be required before prescribing chemical abortion drugs and that physicians should screen for coercion.
“Women deserve better than a mail-order abortion from a physician in another state or another country who does not know them and cannot adequately assess their condition,” continued Heather Weininger, Executive Director of Wisconsin Right to Life. “We should be advancing policies that ensure proper medical oversight, informed consent, and real care. Expanding access to these pills with known risks leaves women isolated and at risk.”
Wisconsin Right to Life will continue to monitor this case and advocate for policies that protect both women and preborn children.
