Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger | Diocese of Tucson website

The recent Supreme Court decision to rule against the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al. regarding the unrestricted use of Mifepristone has been described as a setback for women's health.

When Mifepristone was first approved in 2000, the FDA required oversight of the drug and restricted its use through guidelines intended to ensure that the health and well-being of women taking the drug would not be placed at risk.

Ninety percent of abortions currently occur in the first trimester of pregnancy, and over fifty percent of those utilize Mifepristone with Misoprostol, a chemical combination with side effects that often necessitate a trip to the emergency department. The use of these chemicals without physician supervision has potential risks for women. Furthermore, lack of medical management is viewed as an abandonment by healthcare professionals to provide oversight before, during, and after ingestion of these pills.

"The push to encourage abortions hurts women on so many levels - medical, physical, emotional, and spiritual. And ultimately, it takes the life of a baby - a human life deserving dignity and respect, if not unconditional love - the Mother's own child!" said Ana Sanguineti, MD from the Diocese of Tucson and spokesperson for life issues.