FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. – Today, AMCHP’s CEO Terrance E. Moore, issued the following statement in response to the decision by the Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division, in the case of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) is deeply disappointed by today’s decision, which overturns the FDA’s 23-year approval of mifepristone, an effective, evidence-based medication used for self-managed abortions. This action, coming on the heels of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, further erodes the ability of women and pregnant people to make decisions about their own reproductive lives and futures.

Today, more than half of all abortions performed in the U.S. are self-managed. The availability of medication to terminate a pregnancy makes the procedure more accessible to those who otherwise face significant barriers to care. Making mifepristone unavailable nationwide—even in states where abortion remains legal—will impose an incalculable cost on pregnant people throughout the country who are seeking abortion care.

Barriers to abortion care are rooted in systemic racism and reflect ongoing inequities in our health care system. As is the case with all abortion restrictions, people of color, low-income individuals, those living in rural areas, and those without a nearby health care provider will be disproportionately harmed by restrictions on medication abortion care. And these are the populations most likely to experience severe maternal morbidity and more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications.

AMCHP will continue to support the reproductive autonomy and personal decision-making of all birthing people. With our state and national partners, we will keep fighting to reduce barriers to the full continuum of reproductive health care, including abortion care.”

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The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) is a national resource, partner, and advocate for state public health leaders and others working to improve the health of women, children, youth, families, and communities. AMCHP builds successful programs to serve its members by disseminating best practices; advocating on their behalf in Washington, DC; providing technical assistance; convening leaders to share experiences and ideas; and advising states about involving partners to reach our common goal of healthy children, healthy families, and healthy communities. For more information, visit www.amchp.org and follow AMCHP on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Please contact Chery Manon Espinal (202-843-9304, cmanonespinal@amchp.org) for questions or media requests.

Download the full statement HERE.