Explainer: Stalled Lawsuit Raises Questions About Safety, Availability of Abortion Pills

A federal judge previously said the case can’t move forward until the FDA completes its review of mifepristone.

Mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in a medication abortion, is displayed at the Women's Reproductive Clinic in Santa Teresa, N.M., on June 15, 2022. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Supreme Court on May 4 temporarily allowed a popular abortion pill to continue to be sent in the mail after a federal appeals court ruling blocked the practice days before.

Justice Samuel Alito stayed a May 1 order of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that halted mailing of the drug. The stay expires on May 11.