Supreme Court allows mail-order access to abortion pill to continue

WorldPolitics
15 May 2026 • 6:40 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Supreme Court allows mail-order access to abortion pill to continue

  • The Supreme Court will continue allowing mail-order and telehealth access to the abortion pill mifepristone, blocking a lower court ruling imposing new restrictions.
  • This decision means millions of patients can continue to access the widely used medication without being forced to travel to a health center for in-person pickup.
  • The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana had previously reinstated a requirement for in-person access, a move that was paused twice by the Supreme Court before the current block.
  • Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the Supreme Court's decision, with Thomas referencing the 150-year-old Comstock Act, which anti-abortion activists have invoked.
  • The legal challenge against mifepristone's availability will continue, with advocates warning that ongoing efforts to restrict access pose a significant threat to abortion rights.

IN FULL