By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) -A divided federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld West Virginia's near-total ban on abortion, including limits on the widely used medication abortion drug mifepristone.

WEDNESDAY, July 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A federal appeals court has ruled that West Virginia can limit access to mifepristone, a medication used to end early pregnancies. The decision is the first of its kind and could affect how other states handle access to drugs that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of West Virginia's abortion ban that limits access to an abortion drug called mifepristone.