This federal law could ban abortions nationwide. Fight it!
The overturning of Roe v. Wade rolled back national-level abortion rights. Now, the Trump administration wants to create a backdoor federal abortion ban by weaponizing the Comstock Act —an archaic, 150-year old federal law that could be used to restrict the mailing of abortion pills, along with anything else the government deems inappropriate. This ban would mean that people across the United States will be denied access to abortions, even in states where it remains legal. Send a message to your legislators and demand that they support the Stop Comstock Act.
Comstock was all about controlling reproductive choices and sexual freedom
The Comstock Act is an 1800s sexual purity law that bans the mailing, shipping, and delivery of anything deemed “obscene, lewd, lascivious, indecent, filthy or vile,” originally adopted to restrict the mailing of pornography, contraceptives, and information about abortions. The Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade rendered the Comstock Act irrelevant. However, with Roe v. Wade overturned and President Trump elected, Republican strategists and anti-abortion advocates are now pushing to use this outdated law as a tool for a backdoor federal abortion ban, especially as medication abortion becomes more widely used across the United States.
The vague provisions of the Comstock Act could also be broadly interpreted to ban the shipping or mailing of other related items such as morning-after pills, medical equipment used in abortion, and even educational/informational materials on abortion care and sexual health. The recent resurgence of support for the Comstock Act is another example of anti-abortion efforts to oppress vulnerable people, restrict bodily autonomy, and decimate reproductive choices. Restricting access to abortions effectively controls if, when, and how people can participate in society, pursue careers, and make choices about their futures.
The warning signs are everywhere. We shouldn’t ignore them.
The Trump government, Republican strategists, and anti-abortion advocates have made their intentions plainly clear. For example, Project 2025 explicitly references the Comstock Act, advocating for an end to “mail-order abortions in violation of long-standing federal laws that prohibit the mailing and interstate carriage of abortion drugs.” The Supreme Court even acknowledged the Comstock Act during oral arguments in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, thereby leaving the door open for future challenges to the legality of medication abortion, potentially using the Comstock Act as a basis.
A federal abortion ban is bad for everyone.
Access to safe abortions, reproductive rights, and bodily autonomy benefits everyone. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there has been a higher mortality rate in states that prohibit some or all forms of abortions. Weaponizing the Comstock Act to create a federal backdoor abortion plan will only lead to senseless deaths and destabilized families and communities.
The weaponization of the Comstock Act would mean that everyone’s mail would be at an increased risk of surveillance, thereby enabling the government to restrict the mailing of items it unilaterally deems inappropriate or obscene. The Act could become a tool for banning books, media, and other materials that the Trump administration sees as a threat to its fascist agenda.
Sign this petition and tell your legislators to take a stand against the ongoing attack on reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, and free expression. As long as the Comstock Act remains on the books, everyone will be at risk, especially under an administration that has consistently shown itself to be anti-abortion, anti-women, and anti-trans rights.