A divided federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld West Virginia's near-total ban on abortion, including limits it imposed on access to the medication abortion drug mifepristone. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond,

Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen used in medication abortions. It has been FDA-approved since 2000 and is considered a safe and effective alternative to surgical abortion, The Washington Post said.