Since the repeal of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the fight for reproductive freedom has increasingly centered on medication abortion. The two pill regimen allows pregnant people to safely terminate pregnancies, with medicine alone. Since the FDA approved one of the medications used, mifepristone, in 2000, the method has grown to now account for 54% of abortions performed nationwide.

For that reason, anti-abortion advocates view it as a threat and are looking to take mifepristone off of shelves across in the U.S. That is the goal behind a lawsuit filed in November 2022 by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). The ADF is suing the FDA to rescind its approval of mifepristone. If the suit is successful, it could drastically limit access to medication abortion across the country and force millions of Americans seeking abortions to undergo operations, carry unwanted pregnancies to term, not have access to miscarriage care, and more. This nightmare is already playing out and causing pain and trauma for people who can get pregnant in the 12 states where abortion is banned, and this lawsuit could bring these realities to all 50 states. The stakes are so high.

Here to talk with us about this dangerous lawsuit, the importance of mifepristone for reproductive healthcare, and how the ACLU is showing up to preserve reproductive care nationwide is Andy Beck, Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project.