
-
Hall of Fame trainer Lukas ill, won't return to racing: Churchill Downs
-
US Ryder Cup captain Bradley edges Fleetwood to win PGA Travelers
-
Alonso says Rudiger complained of racist insult
-
Minjee Lee wins Women's PGA Championship for third major title
-
US bases in the Middle East
-
More than 20 killed in suicide attack on Damascus church
-
Ten-man Real Madrid show class in Pachuca win
-
Blood, destruction at Damascus church after suicide attack
-
Tesla launches long-discussed robotaxi service
-
Palou wins at Road America to boost IndyCar season lead
-
Bumrah says 'fate' behind Brook's exit for 99 against India
-
Gout Gout says 100m 'too short' for him
-
Democrats assail 'erratic' Trump over Iran strikes
-
Iran threatens US bases in response to strikes on nuclear sites
-
NBA Suns trade star forward Kevin Durant to Rockets
-
At least 20 killed in suicide attack on Damascus church
-
NATO strikes spending deal, but Spain exemption claim risks Trump ire
-
Queen's champion Alcaraz in the groove ahead of Wimbledon
-
Yildiz stars as Juventus beat Wydad at Club World Cup
-
Bumrah and Brook shine to leave England-India opener in the balance
-
Pogba says he is talking to a club about comeback after ban
-
NBA Suns trade star forward Kevin Durant to Rockets: ESPN
-
Muslim countries urge end to Israel's 'aggression' against Iran
-
'How to Train Your Dragon' holds top spot in N.America box office
-
Almeida wins time-trial to take Tour of Switzerland
-
Bublik sees off Medvedev to claim second title on grass in Halle
-
Feyi-Waboso banned for England tour to Argentina
-
US strikes on Iran: what we know
-
Alcaraz crowned king of Queen's for second time
-
US says strikes 'devastated' Iran's nuclear program
-
Bublik sees off Medvedev to claim fifth AFP title in Halle
-
Freed Belarus opposition figure urges Trump to help release all prisoners
-
Wave of syringe attacks mar France's street music festival
-
US intervention 'devastated' Iran's nuclear programme says Pentagon
-
Marc Marquez completes perfect Mugello weekend with Italian MotoGP triumph
-
Vondrousova warms up for Wimbledon with Berlin title
-
India still on top in first Test despite Brook fifty for England
-
Ukraine army chief vows to expand strikes on Russia
-
United behind Iran war effort, Israelis express relief at US bombing
-
Former England fast bowler David Lawrence dead at 61
-
At least three impacts in Israel during Iran missile attacks, 23 hurt
-
Trump says US strikes 'obliterated' Iran nuclear sites
-
Japan's high-tech sunscreens tap into skincare craze
-
Tesla expected to launch long-discussed robotaxi service
-
South Korea counts on shipbuilding to ease US tariff woes
-
Bombing Iran, Trump gambles on force over diplomacy
-
Trump says US attack 'obliterated' Iran nuclear sites
-
Itoje to Valetini: five to watch when the Lions face Australia
-
Wallabies confident but wary of wounded British and irish Lions
-
Utopia and fragile democracy at Art Basel fair

The abortion pill at the center of a US court battle
The US Supreme Court has weighed in on the legal battle over an abortion pill that accounts for more than half of the abortions in the United States, freezing restrictions imposed on the drug by an appeals court.
Here is background on the drug, mifepristone, and its use:
- How widespread is abortion pill use? -
According to the Guttmacher Institute, the pill accounted for more than half -- 53 percent -- of the 930,160 abortions documented by the reproductive health research and policy organization in the United States in 2020.
That was up from 17 percent in 2008 and 39 percent in 2017.
While the number of so-called medication abortions has gone up dramatically in the United States in recent years, it is still not as prevalent as in several European nations.
In France, for example, medication abortions represented 70 percent of the total number of abortions in 2020.
- How does it work? -
The abortion pill is different from the "morning after" pill, which is taken by a woman after sexual intercourse to prevent becoming pregnant.
The abortion pill is taken to induce an abortion once a woman confirms that she is pregnant.
The process in fact involves more than one pill. The first, mifepristone, also known as RU 486, stops a pregnancy from proceeding normally by blocking production of the hormone progesterone.
Another drug, misoprostol, is taken up to 48 hours later and causes cramps, bleeding and the emptying of the uterus.
Abortion pills can be used at home and a medical setting is not required.
- When was the abortion pill approved? -
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the green light to mifepristone and misoprostol in 2000 for use up to seven weeks of pregnancy.
It was later approved for use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy, after which a woman would need to undergo an abortion through other means, such as vacuum aspiration.
A group opposed to abortions has challenged the FDA's approvals of mifepristone in federal court in Texas.
The average cost of a medication abortion at Planned Parenthood is $580 but it can cost up to $800.
- Is it safe and effective? -
Use of the abortion pill during the specified time period is considered to be safe and effective by medical experts.
Pregnancies are successfully terminated in more than 95 percent of cases where the pill is used, according to studies.
Serious complications -- excessive bleeding, fever, infection or allergic reaction -- which require a medical consult, are rare.
The abortion pill does not work for ectopic pregnancies, which account for around two percent of all pregnancies and where a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus.
- Where is the pill available? -
At least 13 US states have banned most abortions, including medication abortions, since the Supreme Court's ruling in June 2022 overturning the constitutional right to an abortion.
Despite the bans, a number of organizations have mobilized to provide abortion pills to women in states where abortion is restricted.
The extent of their efforts is difficult to evaluate.
In the states where abortion is legal, the FDA recently loosened restrictions surrounding mifepristone, allowing it to be sent through the mail with a prescription or to be sold directly in pharmacies like any other drug.
N.Awad--SF-PST