The new ban has an exception for saving a woman's life, as well as in cases involving rape and incest, but Roberts said health care workers are still prevented from performing an abortion on a nonviable pregnancy that they know may become deadly - such as when the fetus is missing organs or implanted outside the uterus - until it actually becomes deadly.
The court said enforcement won't begin for at least two weeks. However, it could be up to two months, based on an agreement reached in a related case in Arizona, according to state Attorney General Kris Mayes and Planned Parenthood, the plaintiffs in the current case.
By using contraception, people can choose when to start a family and schedule their pregnancies according to their emotional, psychological, and physical well-being at the moment. While statistically the unmet needs for family planning have slightly reduced, there still exists a gap in improving women’s access and awareness with regards to contraception.
The Catholic country and homeland of Pope Francis approved a law allowing abortion up to 14 weeks in December 2020, part of a wave of liberalizing legislation around the region, even as the United States further north has seen abortion access tightened.
The independent panel voted unanimously that the benefits of allowing the medicine, Opill, to be sold over the counter, outweighed the risks and would reduce hurdles associated with visiting a doctor that impact lower income groups disproportionately. FDA scientists highlighted safety concerns, such as the potential impact on people with a history or current diagnosis of breast cancer, or whether they would understand the pill needs to be taken the same time every day to prevent pregnancy.
Abortion rights providers had been stockpiling the abortion pill mifepristone or planning to switch to a new regimen amid the battle over the legality of a drug used in more than half of US abortions.
A federal judge in the US state of Texas overturned the two-decade-old approval of the pill, the latest volley in a conservative battle against reproductive rights in the United States. The FDA's notice of appeal was filed on Friday in Texas and signed by lawyers representing the agency, according to court documents.
This abortion model, in which no travel, clinics or prescriptions are needed, sparked interest in the US - and a surge of requests for help - as the Supreme Court moved to eliminate the constitutional right to abortion last year. But the model was developed by Mexican activists through decades of facing abortion bans and restrictions in most of Mexico's 32 states.
Contraceptive methods covered will include most hormonal pills, implants, injections and intrauterine devices, such as the IUD, as well as the morning-after pill. British Columbia's government estimates that those who need birth control pills, which cost Can$ 25 ($18) a month, could save up to Can$ 10,000 over their lifetime under the new rules.
The top court posted the plea, filed by advocate Meera Kaura Patel, for hearing after eight weeks. In its October 17, 2022 order, the bench had noted the petitioner had referred to section 4(3)(i) of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 to contend that the age limit of 35 years is a restriction on the reproductive rights of women.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Meera Kaura Patel who contended that the age restriction of 35 years in Section 4(3)(i) of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 is a restriction on the reproductive rights of women.
Get updates on your preferred social platform
Follow us for the latest news, insider access to events and more.
