Man in Massachusetts charged with giving girlfriend abortion pills secretly

A man in Brookline, Massachusetts secretly gave his girlfriend an abortion pill to end her pregnancy. The state of Massachusetts has a stockpile of the abortion pill mifepristone that has not been used for over a year. This happened after legal challenges to the FDA's approval of the drug. The state's governor, Maura Healey, bought 15,000 doses of the medication to build up the stockpile. This was because a court case in Texas challenged the FDA's approval and deregulation of mifepristone in 2023. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which heard arguments in March. The stockpile of the drug, worth $700,000, is being kept safe while the Supreme Court decides on the accessibility of the drug. The court is looking into whether the FDA had the authority in 2021 to remove the requirement for in-person dispensing of mifepristone. This allowed healthcare providers to give the pill to patients by mail. The court is also considering if there is enough scientific evidence to support the FDA's decision in 2016 to increase the gestational age limit for the drug to 10 weeks, instead of the initial eight weeks when it was approved in 2000. Anti-abortion advocates argue that in-person screening is important to protect women's health and determine the gestational age. They say it helps rule out abnormalities like ectopic pregnancies. On the other hand, supporters of abortion see mifepristone as crucial for abortion and miscarriage treatment. They believe that mail access to the pill helps women in rural areas without nearby healthcare facilities. In April 2023, Healey asked the University of Massachusetts Amherst to buy 15,000 doses of mifepristone to ensure there was enough supply in the state for over a year. The university transferred the entire shipment to the state Department of Public Health. The Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights, reported that mifepristone is used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States. In a separate incident in Watertown, Massachusetts, a man was charged with secretly giving his girlfriend an abortion pill. He was held on $100,000 bail. The man provided the victim with pills he claimed were iron or vitamin pills. These pills were similar to Misoprostol, one of the abortion drugs being discussed in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The woman experienced discomfort and cramps after taking the pills, leading to a miscarriage. The man asked her to send pictures of the miscarriage. He is facing charges including poisoning, assault, and battery. The investigation is ongoing by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office and Watertown Police.