By Mailee Smith | aul.org

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals today denied Planned Parenthood’s request that the court revisit its prior decision in Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio v. DeWine,  upholding Ohio’s regulation of RU-486.  In October, the Sixth Circuit rejected Planned Parenthood’s challenge to a 2004 Ohio law which requires that abortion providers dispense RU-486 only in the manner approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Rather than “using as directed,” the abortion industry has been handing out life-ending drugs using unapproved protocols that violate the restrictions established by the FDA, and some women have died.  And yet, the abortion industry went to court to fight for the right to continue with these potentially deadly practices.

The FDA approved the abortion drug regimen RU-486 (under the brand name “Mifeprex”) for use only through 49 days of pregnancy. The regimen actually involves two different drugs: oral administration of mifepristone on day one, followed by an oral administration of misoprostol on day 3 (together known as the “Mifeprex regimen”).   The FDA approved the Mifeprex regimen under a special code section that allows the FDA to restrict the use of the drugs.

Not only did the FDA approve the drug just through 49 days gestation, but the FDA specifically outlined that women are to take each dose in a clinic or physician’s office, with the second dose in the regimen to be taken orally.  However, abortion providers—including Planned Parenthood—purposely flout these restrictions, providing the drugs past 49 days and instructing women to take the second dose at home vaginally or buccally (not orally).

But providing the Mifeprex regimen outside the restrictions approved by the FDA is dangerous.

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