government

Court affirms criminalization of some RU-486 orders

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 22, 2012

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The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld an Ohio law regulating how the abortion drug mifepristone (RU-486) can be prescribed. The 2004 statute criminalizes doctors who provide the drug outside of federal guidelines.

Several Planned Parenthood facilities in Ohio sued the state after the law was enacted. They argued that the law was vague and violated women’s constitutional rights.

Under Food and Drug Administration regulations, doses of mifepristone are approved through 49 days’ gestation, and the doses must follow a strict schedule. However, some Planned Parenthood clinics provided the medication after 49 days’ gestation, lowered the dosage and recommended that doses be taken in a different manner than the FDA recommended. The changed protocol is better for women’s health and allows greater access to abortions, Planned Parenthood said. A district court ruled in favor of the state.In an Oct. 2 decision, the appeals court affirmed that decision. The Ohio law is not unconstitutionally vague, nor does it violate a woman’s right to bodily integrity under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the court said (link).

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/10/22/gvbf1022.htm.

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