Roe v. Wade fallout continues; retailers limit abortion pill sales
(NewsNation) — Fallout continues over the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Biden administration officials have responded to the decision, saying that they’re working to help women access abortion, but, they’re also conceding there’s not that much that they can do.
The Department of Health and Human Services said although Roe v. Wade has been overturned, abortion still remains legal in many states and that women have a right to good reproductive health care. However, it all depends on the state in which you live.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Javier Becerra has called the decision by the Supreme Court reprehensible, but also predictable. He said every option is on the table now when it comes to helping women have access to care including abortion.
At the top of that list is medication abortion. The so-called abortion pill is approved for use in the U.S. for pregnancies before the 10th week, and President Joe Biden has said he wants to make sure it is available for women.
And while eight states have banned all forms of abortion, including the pill, Becerra said federal law requires providing the pill in cases involving rape, incest or to protect the life of a mother.
After the court’s ruling last week, mentions of abortion pills spiked significantly on social media, ultimately drawing social media companies into the fray. Facebook and Instagram are in the process of removing those posts, ads and mentions, especially in states where abortion is now illegal.
Biden also wants to make sure that women can legally, and safely, leave a state where abortion is illegal and travel to one where it is allowed. The administration will be watching the states to make sure they do not violate women’s rights to reproductive health care.
“But if there is something we can do, we will find it and we will do it at HHS,” Becerra said.
In the state of Texas, the state immediately stopped all abortions following the ruling. But several pro-choice organizations filed a lawsuit against the state, and a judge has temporarily allowed abortions to resume in some clinics for up to six weeks.
Several big box retailers, including Target, CVS and Amazon, have limited the sales of contraceptives —mainly Plan B — after sales went up dramatically. They said they had to limit individual customers’ pill purchases thwart hoarding and make sure it was available for all customers.
Wednesday morning, CVS reversed that decision, saying that sales have since gone down, but Amazon and Target will continue to keep the purchase limit in place until further notice.