In March, Supreme Court to begin oral arguments over abortion drug mifepristone

Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court said Monday that it has set a March date to begin oral arguments on patient access for a pill commonly used in abortion-related healthcare.

A March 26 date is set for the justices to begin hearing arguments on how patients may access the abortion pill mifepristone, and a decision is expected to be handed down later this year.

An August 2023 appeals ruling said mifepristone could remain legal in the United States but it limited patient access to the drug, which set up the Supreme Court review of the case.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said at the time of the fifth circuit's ruling on mifepristone -- first approved in 2000 -- "undermines our nation's entire system of drug approval by overriding the scientific, evidence-based decision-making of the FDA."

He added that the Biden administration is "confident the law is on our side."

"This decision threatens Americans' right to access the medications they need and, if it stands, would have a devastating impact on women's health by restricting their access to reproductive health care," Becerra said in August.

This comes after a new study reports that almost 65,000 rape-related pregnancies have occurred in the U.S. since the 2022 reversal of Roe vs. Wade, with some states now under a near total abortion ban.

Abortion already is a forefront issue in this year's presidential election, as evidenced by Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris recently kicking off a nationwide "Reproductive Freedoms" tour in Wisconsin.