PPMW responds to 5th Circuit Court ruling on Mifepristone access

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 1, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit issued a decision prohibiting abortion medication Mifepristone from being provided to patients via mail or dispensed at pharmacies.

Mifepristone has been used by 7.5 million women since it received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval 25 years ago. Overwhelming medical and scientific evidence supports the safety and efficacy of Mifepristone. Medication abortion accounts for 63% of all U.S. abortions. The two-drug medication abortion regimen involving Mifepristone is the most common form of medication abortion in the U.S. and is also the most effective regimen for managing early miscarriage. Research has also shown that providing medication abortion to patients via mail is just as safe and effective as providing the medication in-person at a health center.

On Monday, May 4, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a provisional hold on the 5^th Circuit decision, in effect until at least May 11. This means that, for the time being, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC (PPMW), can continue to provide Mifepristone to patients via mail, and pharmacies can continue to dispense Mifepristone prescriptions.

PPMW President and CEO Dr. Laura Meyers had this to say:

"While we are relieved, for the sake of our patients, that the Supreme Court issued a hold on the 5^th Circuit ruling, we are – also for the sake of our patients – outraged that access to safe and effective at-home medication abortion was threatened in the first place and that it remains in jeopardy. Ultimately, this is the result of politically motivated attacks against abortion in all its forms. The goal of anti-abortion extremists is to make it harder for everyone everywhere to get an abortion – including in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia, where abortion care remains fully legal. PPMW will always stand against attacks on abortion, including medication abortion, and will never stop providing abortion care for patients who need it."

For now, due to the provisional hold issued by the Supreme Court, PPMW can continue dispensing Mifepristone by mail and via certified pharmacies until at least May 11. After May 11, however, this status may change. PPMW will continue to closely monitor the situation and will keep patients updated on any major developments affecting their care.

Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC (PPMW) provides high-quality and affordable reproductive health care, promotes education programs that empower all individuals to make informed reproductive choices, and protects the right to make those choices. PPMW is the oldest and largest provider of family planning services in Metropolitan Washington, serving Washington, DC; Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland; and Northern Virginia.

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SOURCE Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.