The United States Supreme Court has rejected an effort to restrict access to a medication used for abortions, terminating an attempt by anti-abortion advocates to limit the procedure.

In a unanimous decision on Thursday, the justices struck down a lower court's previous ruling to restrict access to mifepristone, a drug used in over half of America's abortions.

The FDA had previously taken actions in 2016 and 2021 to simplify the prescription and distribution of this pill.

Approved by the FDA in 2000, the drug is now involved in more than 60 percent of abortion cases in the US, as noted in a recent analysis.

The recent ruling's impact on upcoming elections

Last year's decision by the conservative-leaning Supreme Court to overturn a major ruling that protected abortion rights caused a significant backlash from advocates for women's rights and Democratic leaders.

This recent ruling comes just months before the US elections, with reproductive rights being a key issue during the campaign.

Three justices of the top court, responsible for overturning Roe v Wade—the 1973 ruling affirming the right to abortion—were appointed by former President Donald Trump, who is expected to face President Joe Biden again in the upcoming elections.

Following the removal of federal abortion rights, many Republican-governed states have instituted bans and heavy restrictions on the procedure.

In the previous two years, Democrats have emphasized the importance of abortion rights and reproductive freedom as a counter-narrative to Republican policies.

Reactions to the ruling

Biden expressed approval of the Supreme Court's decision on Thursday, underlining that the ruling does not significantly alter the fact that women's rights to necessary treatments are jeopardized in many states.

“However, it's important to recognize that attacks on medication abortion are part of Republican officials' extreme agenda to prohibit abortion nationwide,” Biden stated.

The Supreme Court determined that the plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit against mifepristone lacked the required legal standing, which entails demonstrating harm directly linked to the FDA's actions.

Abortion remains a highly contentious political issue in the US. Restricting abortions has long been a priority for conservative religious factions. Conversely, those opposed to government-imposed abortion restrictions argue that the procedure is an essential component of women's healthcare, personal choices, and bodily autonomy.

Trump, highly favored among conservative Christians who oppose abortion, declared in April he would not endorse a federal abortion ban if elected. Last year, he labeled Florida's six-week abortion ban as a “grave error”.