A federal judge in Texas is likely to rule soon in a case that could halt distribution of a key abortion drug — a decision that would have sweeping implications for abortion access across the country, including in Democratic-led states where abortion rights are protected.
The lawsuit, filed by several antiabortion groups and doctors against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, aims to undo the decades-old government approval of mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in medication abortions.
Abortion rights advocates say that the implications would be “catastrophic” if the judge in the case, Matthew Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas, sides with antiabortion groups. Such a ruling could trigger the furthest-reaching limit on abortion access since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
Here’s a look at medication abortions and how the case could shape abortion care nationwide:
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