Ukraine is considering legislation that would effectively ban foreigners from accessing surrogacy services in the country. Ukraine has been one of the world’s leading surrogacy destinations, particularly for international intended parents.

Impact

The proposed law, if passed, would have far-reaching consequences for the global surrogacy industry and the many international families who rely on Ukrainian clinics. The move comes amid the country’s ongoing geopolitical challenges and shifting social policies. The legislation’s timing reflects broader debates around reproductive rights and national sovereignty.

According to reports from The Washington Post, BBC, and CNN, a US federal appeals court ruled on May 1 to temporarily block the FDA’s rules allowing mail-order access to the abortion drug mifepristone. The decision has significant implications for reproductive healthcare access for millions of women across the country.

The ruling marks the latest development in a long-running legal challenge by anti-abortion groups against FDA policy. The appeals court determined that the FDA had not sufficiently evaluated safety implications when expanding access to mifepristone, and therefore temporarily suspended regulations that permitted mail-order prescriptions and telehealth prescriptions for the drug.

Following the ruling, reproductive rights advocacy groups responded swiftly, announcing plans for an immediate emergency appeal to the Supreme Court. “This ruling will directly harm women living in states where abortion clinics are scarce or where abortion is banned,” the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project director said in a statement.

The FDA had previously allowed mail-order access to mifepristone, which enabled women living far from abortion clinics—particularly in rural areas—to more easily obtain safe medication abortion services. It is estimated that approximately one-third of medication abortions were completed via mail under the previous regulations.

The Guardian reported that this ruling comes amid ongoing state-level legislative challenges to abortion rights in the United States. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, multiple states have implemented or attempted to implement strict abortion restrictions.

Legal experts suggest the case will likely be appealed to the Supreme Court once again. The Court had previously ruled in favor of preserving mifepristone access in similar cases, but the current composition of the Court introduces uncertainty about the potential outcome.

A White House spokesperson said the administration was “deeply disappointed” by the ruling and stated it would pursue all available legal avenues to protect women’s healthcare access.

Sources: The Washington Post, BBC, CNN