Medication abortion heads back to SCOTUS →

Special Edition: Access to mifepristone remains unchanged

?Thanks for reading our 2nd special edition newsletter.? For more information on the latest legal challenges to medication abortion, lessons from Barbie? ??, and words from a community health expert, keep reading below!

What’s next for medication abortion?

Catch up quick! ???? Check out our series called “The Fate of Medication Abortion in the Courts,” where we follow closely all the evolutions of this case and other legal challenges to medication abortion.

What’s going on? ?On August 16th, 2023, a far-right, extremist three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to reinstate some restrictions on mifepristone. Because of the earlier stay issued by the Supreme Court, this ruling and the restrictions it would impose are not in effect. Mifepristone remains FDA approved and available under current regulations in states where abortion is legal.

What’s next in the case?? The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Supreme Court will determine next steps. The DOJ has up to 90 days to appeal the 5th Circuit’s decision to the Supreme Court; and it has already confirmed it plans to appeal the decision. After the appeal is filed, all focus will be on the Supreme Court to decide if it will take the case, and if so, to determine a timeline.

Why does it matter? If these medically unnecessary restrictions are allowed to be reinstated, it would limit access to an extremely safe and effective medication. That means amplifying barriers to care for low-income people and communities of color–like restricting access to telemedicine. Moreover, this case undermines the authority of the FDA, which could have serious implications for the integrity of the U.S. court systems.?

All Barbies deserve equal pay

Hi Barbie! Barbie tells us the gender wage gap exists in almost all job sectors, and even in high-paying fields. Barbie’s on-screen career path, unfortunately, is not reflective of the experience of working women in the United States. Watch here for more:

In action: A roundup of our recent work

• What to Know as Abortion Access Heads Back to the Supreme Court
• Here’s a Rundown of the 5th Circuit’s Latest Decision on Mifepristone
• Self-Employed Workers’ Access to State Paid Leave Programs in 2023
• 8 Ways State Attorneys General Have Protected Abortion Rights Since the Fall of Roe v. Wade
• Fixing Medicaid Reimbursements to Provide Access to Telehealth Medication Abortion
• Universal Paid Sick Time Would Strengthen Public Health and Benefit Businesses

Words from an expert

As part of our Dobbs anniversary story collection from health care professionals featured on CAP’s website, we spoke with full spectrum doula and healing justice practitioner, Raven Freeborn (they/themme), about the necessity of medication abortion in-community.

Here’s a snippet from that conversation:

Who we’re following

Hi there! My name is Sara Estep (she/her), and I’m the Associate Director of the Women’s Initiative. When I’m not nerding out about a new data set and the need to produce accessible research, you will find me exploring D.C.’s Smithsonian Museums. To that end, here are some accounts I’m currently following:

• Dr. Michelle Holder, @mlholder999, a labor economist and Associate Professor at John Jay College
• Dr. Nancy Folbre, @nfolbre, Professor Emerita of Economics at UMass Amherst & Director of the Program on Gender and Care Work at PERI
• The Hirshhorn, @hirshhorn, my favorite Smithsonian and a museum of modern and contemporary art

That’s all for now, folks. Thanks for tuning in! ?? We are so grateful to our partners and team members who made this letter possible, including CAP’s production, storytelling, and content development teams.