The American Nurses Association (ANA) is encouraged by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 9-0 decision on June 13, 2024 to dismiss U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine due to its lack of legal standing.
“ANA stands in support of the Supreme Court’s decision, while recognizing that the narrow ruling on standing leaves open future challenges to this important treatment in reproductive health care,” said ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “As nurses, we are instrumental in helping millions of patients weigh their options and decisions when it comes to their own reproductive health. Maintaining access to mifepristone is crucial for providing comprehensive, effective, and safe reproductive health care options.”
The effect of this decision is to preserve existing rulings of the federal Food and Drug Administration finding that mifepristone is safe and effective for approved uses including medication abortion provided by advance practice registered nurses (APRN’s) as authorized by their state. In 2023, medication abortions constituted 63% of all abortions in 2023. Mifepristone is a critical medication for reproductive health care.
ANA continues decades-long advocacy work for reproductive justice and sexual health in support of all patients and individuals. For more information on ANA’s position on reproductive care, please visit: Sexual and Reproductive Health Advocacy.
###
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the premier organization representing the interests of the nation’s more than 5 million registered nurses. ANA advances the profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting a safe and ethical work environment, bolstering the health and wellness of nurses, and advocating on health care issues that affect nurses and the public. ANA is at the forefront of improving the quality of health care for all. For more information, visit www.nursingworld.org.