There’s a lot in the news right now about abortion pills — specifically mifepristone. Court decisions are changing quickly, and the legal language can be confusing.

What exactly is this case about?

The case, Louisiana v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is about how mifepristone can be prescribed and dispensed.

In 2023, the federal government allowed certified pharmacies and telehealth providers to mail mifepristone to patients instead of requiring an in-person visit. The state of Louisiana is trying to reverse that rule and bring back older restrictions.

At its core, this case is about how people get the medication — not whether the medication itself is safe or effective.

Requiring an in-person visit doesn’t change the medication or how it works, it just adds an extra step. No matter how you receive abortion pills, you still take the mifepristone and misoprostol at home (not in a clinic). Many abortion rights advocates see these kinds of rules as part of a broader effort to create barriers to healthcare.

And importantly, people are still finding ways to get the care they need.

According to the Society of Family Planning’s #WeCount project:

• 1.14 million abortions were reported in the U.S. in 2024 — more than in 2023 or 2022
• The monthly average has steadily increased since 2022
• 1 in 4 abortions in 2024 was provided via telehealth
• By mid-2025, about 15,000 abortions per month were provided under shield laws

This shows that despite restrictions and bans on abortion, people continue to access abortion through traveling and by getting pills by mail.

What does this mean right now?

Right now, nothing has changed for patients:

• You can still get abortion pills through telehealth
• Providers can still mail mifepristone
• You can still get mifepristone in person at a clinic

We know things feel uncertain, but abortion access is still available.

Even IF courts eventually block U.S. providers from mailing mifepristone, medication abortion will still be available by mail in all 50 states through a range of options. We expect some services will continue to mail mifepristone. And using misoprostol on its own is safe and effective, and people around the world have been using it for decades. The main difference is that it can take a little longer and usually requires more doses compared to the mifepristone and misoprostol combination.

We will update this page as new information becomes available.