In the face of the Supreme Court's leaked draft opinion that raises the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned, a report raised that the abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol would become a woman's last recourse in ending their pregnancy.
The Voice of America said that pro-life legislators and activists are preparing next to stop remote consultations with doctors, abortion pills sent by mail, and cross-border abortions once the United States Supreme Court really overturns Roe v. Wade. Florida State University College of Law Professor Mary Ziegler revealed to the media outlet that this will be the next battleground on the issue of abortion.
"Medication abortion will be where access to abortion is decided. That's going to be the battleground that decides how enforceable abortion bans are," Ziegler said.
An Increase In Abortion Pills' Demand
A study by pro-abortion rights supporter Guttmacher Institute showed that abortion pills' use in the country has increased in 22 years since the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the abortion pill mifepristone in 2000. The study said more than half of abortions were done by pills.
As reported previously, the implementation of the Texas Heartbeat Act or SB8 last September has led to an increase in requests for chemical abortions based on the Journal of the American Medical Association report last February. SB8 bans abortions on pregnancies beyond six weeks once a fetal heartbeat has been detected.
The association highlighted a shocking increase in women obtaining the abortion pills illegally from the global organization Aid Access, which recorded 61 daily requests from the 10 daily requests before SB8's implementation.
Also Read: Requests For Chemical Abortion Increase Following Impementation Of Texas Heartbeat Act: Report
An Underground Abortion Pills Railroad
In addition, NewsNation's "Banfield" on Thursday revealed that most abortions in the United States are now conducted through pills. The episode guested Emily Linkins and Lynsey Bourke who have set up an "underground railroad" for women located in areas where abortion has been banned. The episode also highlighted a Reddit thread that matches women with people willing to sponsor their abortion needs for transportation, housing tests, emotional support, and pills.
Bourke, who is in Mexico, revealed that she has created a hotline for women in Mexico to get abortion pills. She disclosed that she plans to set up a string of abortion clinics near the border so that people in the US could avail the procedure and acquire the abortion pills at a cheaper rate than those charged in the US. This is, she said, in preparation to "save America," which alluded to Roe v. Wade being overturned.
While Linkins, who is located in Illinois, said that she and other pro-abortion activists and providers in the state are preparing for what the Supreme Court is poised to do. Linkins said they are anticipating an influx of customers because of this, being in a state that allows abortion.
Several states have followed-suit with Texas in banning late abortions, such as Arizona, Florida, and Ohio. At least 21 states are expected to automatically ban abortion once Roe v. Wade is overturned. Some states have also gone ahead in banning the abortion pill by mail, such as South Dakota, even before the FDA legalized abortion pills last December.
During Banfied's Thursday episode, both guests were asked if they were prepared to go to jail once it is declared illegal to transport the abortion pills across the border. Bourke immediately replied, "no," and pointed out that she believes that what she is doing is God's work.
"I honestly believe that what we're doing is the work of the Divine in the sense that it's important," Bourke stressed.
Related Article: Senator Urges FDA To Reverse Abortion Pill Policy
