South Dakota places further restrictions on medication abortions

Women in South Dakota who are seeking a medication abortion will face additional restrictions later this month after state lawmakers approved a new rule from the state's health department. Current state law allows for the medical abortion process to begin 72 hours "after the physician physically and personally meets with the pregnant mother," except in medical emergencies, and usually only required one more visit to a licensed facility to receive the necessary drugs for the process. But on Thursday, state lawmakers on a rules review committee approved the South Dakota Department of Health's rule requiring that women receive both drugs used in a medication abortion -- mifepristone and misoprostol -- in person at a licensed abortion facility.

The rule means South Dakota will be the first state to require a visit to obtain the misoprostol, according to Guttmacher Institute state policy analyst Elizabeth Nash. A medication abortion, also called a medical abortion, is a nonsurgical procedure effective until about 10 weeks into a pregnancy. It involves taking mifepristone and misoprostol one or two days apart. Typically, women are given both drugs in the same visit to their doctor or a clinic. They take the mifepristone pill at the clinic and are instructed to take the misoprostol pill at home a day or two later. Under the new regulation, women in South Dakota will now effectively be required to make four visits to a licensed abortion facility for a medication abortion. The rule comes after the Biden administration temporarily relaxed federal regulations on medication abortion in April, removing the requirement that mifepristone be dispensed in person during the Covid-19 pandemic.