Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Watch: Protesters gather outside Texas hearing to pull abortion pill off market

Holly Patrick
Wednesday 15 March 2023 10:56 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Protesters gathered outside a Texas courthouse as a hearing took place on whether to pull an abortion pill off the market.

The motion was put forward by a coalition of anti-abortion groups - the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine - to pull mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortion.

Mifepristone is used together with misoprostol to end a pregnancy that is less than 70 days. It blocks the hormone progesterone, which supports a pregnancy to continue.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, more than half of all US abortions are carried out via medication. Than Half of All US Abortions

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk is overseeing the hearing. It is not confirmed when he will issue his decision on the matter.

The anti-abortion groups filed a lawsuit in November 2022 alleging that the Food and Drug Administration did not appropriately evaluate mifepristone’s safety before it was approved for use in 2000.

Click here to sign up for our newsletters.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in