Stateside with Kai and Carter: Why the fight over abortion in US isn’t finished

In this episode of The Guardian's Stateside podcast, hosts Carter Sherman and Kai Wright delve into the complexities of the fight over abortion pills in the United States, particularly following the Supreme Court's decision to allow continued access to mifepristone. They discuss how abortions have actually risen since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, attributed to the efforts of abortion rights advocates to expand access to medication abortion, especially through mailing pills into states with strict abortion laws. The conversation also covers the legal challenges faced by mifepristone, especially a recent ruling from the Fifth Circuit Court which halted mail-order access to this medication.

Hosts share insights from interviews with Dr. Angel Foster, an abortion provider at the Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project, who discusses the rise in demand for abortion services and the challenges faced by women in states with restrictive laws. They express concerns about a troubling trend towards criminalizing abortion patients and highlight how a possible enforcement of the Comstock Act could lead to widespread restrictions on abortion access across the nation. The episode emphasizes the urgency for supporters of abortion rights to remain vigilant given the potential threats posed by ongoing legal attacks.