Abortion laws in the state of Arizona are supposed to be strict in comparison with other states in the country. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court stopped Arizona from enforcing a law which would have nearly eliminated the possibility of medical abortions in the state.
On Monday, Dec. 15, the Supreme Court declined to review a lower court decision regarding the use of mifepristone, also known as RU-486, which is an abortion-inducing drug.
Arizona suggests that the new laws were mainly meant to ensure the protection of women's health. However, some groups challenged the law and suggested that if enforced it will make it extremely tough for women to get medical abortions, which are normally used in early pregnancy stages.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit blocked enforcement of the strict Arizona law while it was being challenged. The states of North Dakota, Ohio and Texas have similar laws in effect regarding taking mifepristone through the seventh week of a pregnancy. The Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down the restrictions in that state.
"The court did the right thing today, but this dangerous and misguided law should never have passed in the first place," says Cecile Richards, who is the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, a reproductive health and maternal and child health services provider in the country.
Richards added that politicians in the U.S. should understand that such unconstitutional and harmful restrictions will not be tolerated or accepted by the public or courts in the country.
The restriction would restrict Arizona women to taking RU-486 only within the first seven weeks of pregnancy. Arizona suggests that the measure is in accordance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandate. Mifepristone is normally prescribed with an accompanying drug, misoprostol. The FDA approved RU-486 in 2000.
After initial dosage approval from the FDA, many doctors found that the drug is actually effective in smaller doses and also can be used effectively by women for an extra two weeks into the pregnancy.
According to the proposed Arizona law, both the drugs had to consumed per the 2000 guidelines approved by the FDA and only in clinics. However, the challengers of the law suggest that the additional drug can be taken by women at home.
The law is meant only for medical abortions and does not disturb regulations governing surgical abortions. Planned Parenthood reveals that 40 percent of the total abortions in the first trimester of a pregnancy performed at its clinics are medical abortions.
The Supreme Court did not reveal the reasons for rejecting to review the decision of the 9th Circuit. The case is Humble v. Planned Parenthood of Arizona.
