The year is 2000. George W. Bush will soon have beaten Al Gore for the presidency (but not until the end of the year), Tiger Woods has become the youngest person to complete a career Grand Slam; *NSYNC is at the top of the music charts, and the Food and Drug Administration has approved a new pill for abortion—Mifepristone. At this time, however, the drug may only be administered by a medical practitioner and may only be administered to women up to seven weeks into pregnancy. Doctors must see patients in person no fewer than three times.
Fast forward to 2016, when the Food and Drug Administration deems use of the drug to be safe for pregnancy up to 10 weeks and approves doses to be given in one single dose by nurse practitioners as well as doctors.
Fast forward again to 2021. The world is just beginning to recover from a global pandemic, though it will be another year or two before the feeling of normalcy sets in. Caution is the order of the day. Telemedicine is becoming more of a norm. Taking into account all of these factors, the Food and Drug Administration deems that in-person medical visits are no longer necessary in order to receive an abortion. Though, the issue is still subject to some scrutiny.
Fast forward again to 2024 (only one more after this, I promise), when a New Orleans based court pleads to the Supreme Court to deny all prescribing of Mifepristone outside of in-person medical visits, citing state abortion bans. The case is ultimately denied, and Mifepristone continues to remain a prescription by mail option.
It is now May 1, 2026, and the Louisiana courts have seemingly gotten their wish. A lower court has granted that the abortion drug should not be permitted for self-administration, and in-person visits should now once again be required—much to the displeasure of abortion advocates. In a statement to Facebook, Melinda Gates decried the decision, stating, “Mifepristone is a safe, essential medicine that so many women depend on in some of the hardest moments of their lives. When access to this care is taken away, the need doesn’t vanish. It just becomes harder to meet—and far more dangerous.” She continues, “Friday’s ruling is a blow to families across the country, who suffer when women are stripped of the ability to make decisions about their own health and futures.”
But the story doesn’t end there—Actually we don’t exactly know how it will end quite yet.
In a Superman-esque move—at least to this writer—Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito placed a temporary block on this order on May 4, allowing abortion by mail to continue. Though, only for a short period of time. The pause will expire and require further deliberation starting at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Monday, May 11.
The decision was immediately celebrated by many, among them democratic Senator Kristen Gillibrand, Who said in a statement via X (formerly Twitter—always Twitter to me), “I’m relieved that access to Mifepristone has been restored while court proceedings continue. These relentless attacks on women’s health are dangerous and continue to cause fear and confusion over a safe and effective drug.”
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