Tallahassee, Florida– Florida’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood, claiming that the organization “misrepresents the safety” of abortion pills.
that it Latest legal challenges Abortion pills, the most common method of terminating a pregnancy in the United States, have become a growing target Opponents of the measure Following a 2022 US Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade overturned.
In a complaint filed in state court in Santa Rosa County on Thursday, Florida Attorney General James Othmeier claims the network of clinics “makes false claims about the safety of abortion medications,” highlighting Planned Parenthood’s statements that the pills are “safer than Tylenol.”
Here’s what you should know.
The lawsuit filed in Florida alleges that Planned Parenthood violates Florida’s law against deceptive and unfair trade practices and that its activities constitute… “Blackmail” This is a charge that was originally used to fight organized crime.
“Planned Parenthood and its Florida operations mislead women about the critical and undeniable risks of chemical abortion by deceptively claiming that these powerful medications are less risky than daily pain relievers,” the complaint says.
The lawsuit seeks damages estimated at $350 million, and asks the court to consider implementing a range of sanctions against Planned Parenthood, including requiring the organization to sell real estate, prohibiting it from providing abortions, or ordering the dissolution of the organization.
In a statement, Planned Parenthood officials called the lawsuit a “politically motivated attack” aimed at further undermining abortion access in Florida, which bans most postpartum abortions. Six weeks of pregnancyBefore many women knew they were pregnant.
“Anti-abortion lawmakers and officials are tireless in their efforts to end access to all abortion care and prevent patients from obtaining accurate medical information,” Susan Baker Manning, general counsel of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement. “We will continue our relentless efforts to defend access to this safe and effective care,” she added. “See you in court.”
Missouri’s attorney general filed a similar lawsuit against Planned Parenthood in July. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for February.
Carolyn Mala Corbin, a constitutional law professor at the University of Miami School of Law, said it is not surprising that Florida is looking for new ways to restrict access to what has become the preferred method of terminating a pregnancy in the United States.
“If this project succeeds, it could become a model for other countries,” Corbyn said. “If it fails, they will undoubtedly come up with something else.”
Abortion opponents are increasingly focusing on restricting access to the pill, which by the time the Supreme Court overturned Roe, accounted for more than half of all abortions, typically using a combination of medications. Mifepristone And misoprostol.
The grains are now being used in Nearly two-thirds of miscarriages They are offered across the country and are prescribed via telehealth to patients in states where doctors prohibit them in states that have laws that seek to protect them from legal scrutiny for providing such care interstate.
The Supreme Court’s decision opened the door for states to ban abortion, as Republican-controlled states work to restrict access to it and ban it Punishing people who assist in abortions, while Democratic-controlled states have passed protectionist laws to protect medical providers.
Now, with Texas and 11 other states banning abortion at all stages of pregnancy, and four other states banning most after the first six weeks or so of pregnancy, the pill has become an even more important way to provide abortion in the United States — even in states that ban the procedure.
last year, supreme court It unanimously maintained access to mifepristone, ruling that abortion opponents lacked the legal right to sue over the federal Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug.
Republican prosecutors are renewing their legal efforts, after the Supreme Court returned the case to a lower court in Texas. Prosecutors argue that mifepristone is too dangerous to be prescribed via telehealth, and that the FDA should revoke the approvals and tighten access.
I found studies Mifepristone and misoprostol are generally safe and induce complete abortion in more than 97% of cases.
Medical organizations that support the availability of mifepristone say the drug’s safety is comparable to “ibuprofen, which more than 30 million Americans take on any given day.”
Since 2000, nearly 6 million patients have taken mifepristone, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A 2021 review of agency records looking for deaths potentially linked to the drug identified 13 cases, or 0.00027% of patients.
On an informational page on Planned Parenthood’s website, the organization compares abortion medications to other common medications.
“Medical abortion is extremely safe. In fact, it is safer than many other medications such as Penicillin, Tylenol, and Viagra. Serious problems are rare, but like all medications, there can be risks,” the statement read.
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America It is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.