NPR: https://www.npr.org/2023/04/15/1170268300/planned-parenthood-rally-abortion-pill-mifepristone-supreme-court
Health

Tech platforms in Texas could be used to block posts about abortion

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The Electronic Frontier Foundation says the FDA can no longer prescribe the pill Mifepristone without sending a lawsuit against anyone who attempted to access abortion

State lawmakers in Texas are considering a bill introduced last month that would make it illegal to provide information on how to access abortion. The legislation would allow prosecution of abortion pill distribution networks, allow anyone to file a lawsuit against someone who shared anything about how to access a medical abortion, and require internet service providers to block websites that feature content like Marty’s book. The proposal borrows from a Texas law passed in 2021 that offers a cash bounty to citizens who sue a person who helped facilitate access to abortion care.

New restrictions on abortion could make it even more important for women to have good information. A Texas judge halted the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the pill Mifepristone, which is also known as the pill to cause abortion, because it is part of the standard process for abortions. This week, a federal appeals court ruled that though mifepristone could still be used for abortions, it can no longer be prescribed by mail.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation says that it frightens the platforms and the providers into thinking that they can be held liable for speech. That is having a chilling effect and moving the goal to keep this information away from people online.

Free speech is generally protected in the US under the First Amendment to the Constitution, while technology platforms have successfully argued that Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act means they can’t be held liable for content posted by users.

Planning Parenthood Rally Abortion Pills Supreme Court Decision Despite Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s Benchmark Decision

There are rallies in various parts of the US on Saturday and Sunday to bring attention to the reversal of the FDA’s approval of a key abortion drug.

Portions of U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s nationwide injunction blocking mifepristone’s approval would have gone into effect on Saturday had the Supreme Court not stayed the decision Friday afternoon.

If the Supreme Court declines to block the ruling, it’s not clear which states would be covered by it.

“These judges aren’t doctors and neither are they, Laura,” the CEO of the organisation said at the rally, pointing at the protesters nearby.

Medication abortions now account for more than half of U.S. abortions, making them increasingly the focus of the legal fight over abortion rights. They’re also more discreet and affordable than other forms of abortion.

Several doctors speaking in Washington said that medical professionals are unable to provide high-quality care where abortion restrictions are in effect. The move to ban the drug is against doctor duties, according to Dr. Shenoy, director of primary care at the organization.

“My patients should be allowed to receive the highest level of care without being judged or stigmatized, and having no need for judges to tell them what type of care they can or cannot receive,” she said.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/04/15/1170268300/planned-parenthood-rally-abortion-pill-mifepristone-supreme-court

Emitting Abortion: Getting out of an Abuse Relationship and Building a Better Health Care for Black, Indigenous and Latinos

Brittany House, a patient advocate who is studying for a master’s degree in public health, said her medication abortion several years ago allowed her to get out of an abusive relationship and build her life and career. Mifepristone was a part of “the best care for my 21-year-old body, mind and spirit,” she said.

House said states with abortion bans have worse health outcomes for Black mothers and babies, and she said Black, Indigenous and Latino communities are “by far the most at risk with the elimination of the safest form of abortion care.”

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