Joint Medical Organization Response to Supreme Court Decision Preserving Access to Mifepristone

The following is a statement from the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the American College of Nurse-Midwives, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the National Abortion Federation, the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health, the National Society of Genetic Counselors, and Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health, in response to the May 14 ruling from the US Supreme Court in Louisiana v. FDA: 

“As organizations representing clinicians who care for pregnant patients, we are temporarily relieved by the Supreme Court decision to block the Fifth Circuit’s May 1 ruling and maintain the status quo, thus protecting access to mifepristone. 

“The scientific evidence is clear: mifepristone is safe and effective. Complications are exceedingly rare and typically minor, and real-world evidence gathered during and after the COVID-19 pandemic showed that this safety and effectiveness profile did not change when in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone were removed.  

“The Fifth Circuit’s ruling that temporarily reinstated in-person requirements is another example of excessive legal scrutiny and political interference in reproductive healthcare. In-person dispensing requirements have no impact on the safety of mifepristone and would have inevitably led to delays in care and worsened health inequities.  

“Access to healthcare, including mifepristone and abortion care at large, is essential, and healthcare policy must be dependent on rigorous, scientific evidence. We are grateful that the Supreme Court blocked the Fifth Circuit’s ruling, maintaining existing access to this lifesaving medication nationwide.” 

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About SMFM      
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), founded in 1977, is the medical professional society for obstetricians who have additional training in high-risk, complicated pregnancies. SMFM represents more than 6,500 members who care for high-risk pregnant people and provides education, promotes research, and engages in advocacy to reduce disparities and optimize the health of high-risk pregnant people and their families. SMFM and its members are dedicated to optimizing maternal and fetal outcomes and assuring medically appropriate treatment options are available to all patients.      

 Media Contact:  Greg Phillips, Director of Communications, press@smfm.org