A law prohibiting abortion pills has been passed in the United States.

After it had been approved earlier in the month by state legislators, Wyoming’s Republican Governor Mark Gordon signed a bill banning abortion pills into law.

People who “prescribe or dispense, distribute or sell any drug for the purposes of procuring or performing abortions” face six months imprisonment and a maximum $9,000 fine (PS7300).

The law also states that women who have had a chemical abortion performed or attempted will not be prosecuted.

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This comes after the US Supreme Court ruled last year in favor of the 1973 Roe V Wade decision, which gave American women the constitutional right to have an abortion.

Wyoming’s new law will exempt “morning after” pills from the ban. These are prescription contraceptives that are used after sex, but before a pregnancy can confirm, and they are not subject to the ban.

A woman will be exempted from treatment if it is necessary to protect her “from an imminent danger that substantially endangers” her life or health, as well as treatment for a “natural miscarriage” according to current medical guidelines.

Governor Gordon approved a more expansive and restrictive measure to restrict abortion that was passed without his signature.

He claimed that signing the bill would lead to a lawsuit which will “delay any resolution of the constitutionality abortion ban in Wyoming”.

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What has changed since Roe V Wade was overturned?

The state is pushing for stronger laws that ban abortions. A bill to ban abortions early in pregnancy is currently the focus of a court battle.

After providers claimed that the bill violated Wyoming’s constitution guaranteeing freedom in health care decisions, the court blocked the previous bill.

In Texas, a federal judge is considering imposing a ban on abortion pills mifepristone nationwide in response to a lawsuit brought by anti-abortion groups.

Antonio Serrano, Wyoming American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), advocacy director, criticized Governor Gordon’s decision for signing the abortion pill law.

Mr Serrano stated that a person’s health should be the guiding factor in all medical decisions, including those regarding abortion.

In the wake of Roe v Wade, fifteen states have already limited access to abortion pills. Six require an in-person doctor visit.

The decision to reverse the judgment has allowed states to enact abortion restrictions, rather than having the right to abort as a constitutional right.