Medication abortions account for nearly 40 percent of all abortions in the U.S. The FDA requires that doctors prescribe abortion drugs in person, in part to ensure women are adequately warned of the medications’ dangerous risks, including maternal death.

But last week, a federal judge sided with the ACLU, claiming these regulations are “too burdensome” during a pandemic. While many doctors have resorted to meeting with and treating patients via video conferencing right now, this is something quite different.

After all, these medications stop a healthy, natural bodily process; they don’t treat a problem. Second, there is no way to determine if a woman is pregnant via Zoom and third, if the severe inherent risks of these abortion drugs require heightened FDA regulations in non-pandemic times, women deserve those protections all the time. A global pandemic is precisely the time to pursue extra care and thoughtfulness in healthcare, not less.