FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2023

Media Contact:
Jake Green, jgreen@ncjw.org

NATIONAL — With today’s ruling out of the Northern District of Texas involving medication abortion care, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) CEO Sheila Katz released the following statement:

“The court ruling out of the Northern District of Texas attempting to ban mifepristone, one of the two medicines used for abortion procedures and managing miscarriages is a moral outrage. This decision does not make care safer and is not based on medical evidence or need. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mifepristone more than two decades ago and it is highly safe and effective for abortion and miscarriage procedures — with a better track record than Tylenol, Viagra, and penicillin.

“This decision is an egregious overstep of Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who asserts his personal beliefs over that of expert doctors, researchers, and scientists on a medication that has been used effectively with more than 5 million patients over 20 years.

“Essential health care is not an ideological issue, but this ruling ignores medicine and science, creating new scenarios in which people seeking reproductive care  — disproportionately women of color — will be harmed or killed. Providers will be further overwhelmed by an already strained system, and individuals in rural areas will be forced to obtain care hours, if not days, away from their homes. This will result in a backlog of abortion and miscarriage procedures, making it near impossible for hundreds of thousands to obtain these essential health care services in time — even in states that support abortion access, like New York and California. Women will die.

“Mifepristone is a safe, effective way to self-manage abortions and medically induce miscarriages. 25% of women and people who can be pregnant seek abortion care for a variety of reasons before they turn 45, and up to 26% of women will miscarry. This ruling creates new obstacles for millions of people trying to access abortion or manage miscarriages.

“It feels especially painful for this decision attempting to ban mifepristone to arrive during the Jewish holiday of Passover, when Jews around the world are celebrating freedom. But we know that we can’t truly be free without access to bodily autonomy. Abortion access is and always will be a Jewish value. We are determined to keep fighting as a Jewish people until everyone has access to the care they need and the ability to make their own decisions for themselves and their futures.”

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National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is the oldest Jewish feminist civil rights organization working for equity and justice for women, children, and families in the United States and Israel. Through the efforts of our 210,000 grassroots advocates and 50 local sections, NCJW combines education, direct service, and advocacy to affect lasting social change at the local, state, and national levels. We approach our work through the intersections of gender, economic, and racial justice to center those most impacted in a uniquely Jewish way. Learn more at NCJW.org, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.