APA praises supreme court decision to maintain access to abortion drug

WASHINGTON — The American Psychological Affiliation applauded the U.S. Supreme Court docket’s opinion permitting a drug generally used for medical abortions to stay in the marketplace.

“We’re happy that the courtroom has preserved entry to this drug. Insurance policies primarily based on the idea that abortion is dangerous to ladies’s psychological well being aren’t supported by scientific proof. Analysis has constantly proven that having an abortion isn’t linked to psychological well being issues, however people who find themselves denied abortions have worse bodily and psychological well being, in addition to financial outcomes,” mentioned APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD. 

Following the U.S. Supreme Court docket’s landmark 2022 choice overturning Roe v. Wade, a bunch of anti-abortion activists sued the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration, difficult its approval of mifepristone, a drug generally utilized in medical abortions. A federal decide initially suspended the FDA’s approval of the drug, however a subsequent choice by a courtroom of appeals reinstated approval whereas concurrently hanging down the FDA’s earlier adjustments in 2016 to ease entry.

In a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court docket dominated that the anti-abortion teams that originally sued the FDA lacked standing to deliver the case within the first place, leaving all earlier FDA actions intact. 

Together with the Nationwide Affiliation of Social Staff, APA submitted an amicus transient supporting the FDA within the Supreme Court docket case, arguing that the decrease courts’ selections “incorrectly asserted that medicine abortion is linked to adverse bodily and psychological well being outcomes.” The transient sought “to make this Court docket conscious of the flawed proof undergirding the decrease courts’ reasoning in these circumstances,” offering scientific proof that not solely had been voluntary abortions not related to adverse bodily or psychological well being outcomes, however denial of entry to abortion care results in higher ranges of tension, decrease shallowness and adverse socio-economic and bodily well being outcomes.  

APA has lengthy been a voice for equal entry to reproductive well being companies. The affiliation has handed 4 insurance policies or resolutions since 1969 affirming a girl’s proper to decide on and negating assertions relating to the alleged antagonistic psychological results of abortion. APA has additionally filed 12 amicus curiae briefs in circumstances involving abortion. The latest coverage (PDF, 72KB) was handed in February 2022.