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Ohio Women’s Health Groups File For Review of Sixth Circuit Mifepristone Ban

A group of women's health advocates are asking the entire Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to weigh in on an Ohio law that bans the off-label use of mifepristone.

photo courtesy of joewcampbell via Flicr

Earlier this month a divided panel of three judges on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an Ohio law that bans the off-label use of mifepristone. Now women’s health advocates are asking the entire Sixth Circuit bench to weigh in.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio filed a petition asking the court to revisit the decision that restricting RU-486 does not unduly burden a woman’s right to chose abortion. The Sixth Circuit decision reached all but one of the legal challenges to the bill. A lower court must still decide whether the law is constitutional without an exception that would loosen restrictions on off-label use of the pill for health and safety reasons.

The move is not unusual and a sign women’s health advocates have not given up the fight on medical abortion in the state.

The matter has not yet been set for argument.