Over the last couple of weeks, we watched as the FDA approval of mifepristone hung in a precarious state. Finally, the Supreme Court issued an order allowing access to mifepristone to continue–for now. The opinion of the federal judge who started it all represents a lack of judicial discipline, overreach, and disregard for scientific expertise which jeopardizes our personal right to make decisions about our health and the health of our families.
As an obstetrician/gynecologist with over 25 years of clinical experience, I am chilled by the impact which misguided judicial rulings have on the patient-provider relationship and ethical principles they invoke. . I worry about the quality of health care when politicians and judges decide to practice medicine instead of healthcare providers. As a provider who cared for couples challenged by infertility, I've seen firsthand how limiting reproductive care affects families who are trying to conceive, too.
