A Trump-picked federal judge in Texas issues a hold on federal approval of abortion pill mifepristone
An Obama-picked judge in Washington state quickly rules access to the drug must be preserved in 17 liberal states
The Texas judge delays his decision taking effect for seven days, and the US justice department says it will appeal
Abortion pills account for more than half of all pregnancy terminations in the US
Furious liberals call the Texas ruling "extreme" - anti-abortion groups say it's a victory for women and girls
President Joe Biden vows to fight what he calls an "ideological" attack on women's rights
The BBC's Nomia Iqbal explains what mifepristone has been used for and how a judge in Texas has banned it from shelves nationwide.
Abortion pills explained in 60 seconds
Image source, Getty ImagesSince the landmark case Roe v Wade was overturned last year in June, anti-abortion advocates have set their sets on abortion pills - which saw a huge increase in demand after the ruling.
Even when abortions were federally protected, abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol had been targets of anti-abortion groups.
In the first five months of 2022, lawmakers proposed 117 restrictions across 22 states specifically on medication abortion, including outright bans.
Image source, ReutersThe first of the two-pill regimen recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to end a pregnancy, mifepristone blocks a hormone called progesterone, which helps the body maintain the inside of the uterus. Progesterone is necessary for a pregnancy to continue.
Mifepristone effectively stops the pregnancy, while the second drug, misoprostol, empties the uterus.
The US first approved mifepristone for the medical termination of pregnancy through seven weeks gestation in September 2000. In 2016, its approved use was extended to ten weeks of pregnancy.
Mifepristone is also used to treat women who have suffered miscarriages and Cushing syndrome, a hormone-related condition.
We’ve learned that a federal judge in Texas has halted the longstanding approval for the widely used abortion drug mifepristone.
In a 67-page opinion, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, suspended his own ruling for seven days to allow the government time to appeal.
The decision could limit access to the drug for millions of women and comes almost a year after the landmark case Roe v Wade was overturned.
Mifepristone has been authorised for over 20 years, and is used in more than half of US pregnancy terminations.