On Friday, a federal judge in Texas halted the FDA's approval of mifepristone, the most commonly used medication for medication abortions, citing its safety risks. However, another judge in Washington state contradicted this ruling, ordering no changes to its availability. The Texas lawsuit, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is backed by anti-abortion extremists and could limit abortion access even in "blue" or "safe" states. Since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, 13 states have banned most abortion procedures, and 26 clinics have closed, with Whole Woman's Health in Texas being among the four that have closed.

The ruling leaves abortion access nationwide in a state of uncertainty as the case moves to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans and then potentially to the Supreme Court. Mifepristone, when used in combination with misoprostol, has a 99.6% efficacy rate and is used in more than half of all abortions in the U.S.; the risk of complications from the medication is minimal. As the legal process continues, it is expected that access to mifepristone will be disrupted, leaving unappealing alternatives for those in need.