Reproductive Equity Now Responds After Supreme Court Extends Temporary Stay, Allowing Telehealth Access to Mifepristone Until Thursday
Mifepristone remains available via telehealth nationwide as Supreme Court deliberations continue
BOSTON (May 11, 2026) – Today, the United States Supreme Court extended the temporary administrative stay that restored access to mifepristone, the first drug used in a common two-drug medication abortion regimen, via the mail until at least Thursday, May 14, 2026.
“First and foremost, today’s extension means that medication abortion with mifepristone remains available, including via telehealth, until at least Thursday. This means, for the next three days, patients can continue to access the health care they want, need, and deserve,” said Claire Teylouni and Taylor St. Germain, Interim Co-Executive Directors of Reproductive Equity Now. “But patients and providers should never have to live in a constant state of legal limbo when it comes to accessing or providing essential health care. This ongoing legal back-and-forth is dangerous by design — the uncertainty, confusion, and fear created by these court decisions are themselves barriers to care. The anti-abortion movement’s goal is to make people unsure of their rights, their legal risk, and whether care will still be available tomorrow. That is why Reproductive Equity Now remains committed to ensuring patients and providers have access to clear, accurate information about what care is legal and accessible, no matter how rapidly the legal landscape shifts.”
Patients and providers with questions about their ability to obtain or provide care in Massachusetts or Connecticut can also reach our Abortion Legal Hotline at (833) 309-6301 to be connected with free, confidential legal advice. Patients can learn more about options on how to access care at our New England Abortion Care Guide on Reproductive Equity Now’s website.
On Friday, May 1st, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in Louisiana et al. v. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reimpose medically unnecessary in-person dispensing requirements on mifepristone, the first drug used in the common two-drug regimen for medication abortion. This decision limited telemedicine abortion by prohibiting the mailing or retail pharmacy dispensing of mifepristone, until the United States Supreme Court issued an order on Monday, May 4th, temporarily restoring access to mifepristone. This order was set to expire at 5 p.m. today, until the Court extended the stay until at least Thursday, May 14, at 5 p.m.
Mifepristone has a well-documented record of safety and efficacy, and has been used more than 7.5 million times in the United States to end pregnancy since it was approved in 2000. Research shows that medication abortion using telehealth is just as safe as in-person abortion care. More than half of all abortions in the United States are provided via medication abortion, and more than 1 in 4 abortions nationwide are provided via telehealth.
Misoprostol can be used alone to safely and legally end a pregnancy. This protocol typically involves a different side-effect profile.
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