Wyoming is first US state to outlaw abortion pills

Republican governor Mark Gordon proposed total ban to be added to state constitution

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon in 2021. AP

Wyoming on Friday became the first US state to ban the use of abortion pills.

It is the latest move in a campaign by conservative-led states to roll back access to abortion.

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed the ban on abortion pills in the state on Friday night, also allowing a separate measure restricting abortion to become law without his signature.

The Republican governor then appealed to legislators to act further by proposing a total ban on abortion be added to the state constitution and then putting it before voters for approval.

"I believe this question needs to be decided as soon as possible so that the issue of abortion in Wyoming can be finally resolved, and that is best done with a vote of the people," he said.

The Wyoming action comes amid a flurry of activity across the country by anti-abortion groups seeking to win a total ban on abortions following a landmark Supreme Court ruling last year.

Also looming is a ruling in a federal courtroom in Texas, where a judge is expected to decide imminently on a possible national ban on a widely used abortion pill.

The pill, mifepristone, was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration more than a decade ago and has been legally available for years.

Mifepristone is the first pill given in a medical abortion. Reuters

Texas judge Matthew Kacsmaryk could order the abortion pill taken off the market across the country.

Texas legislators are also considering a proposal that would not only ban abortion pills but also require internet service providers in the state to block access to websites where such pills are for sale by mail.

Mr Gordon said he would not back down in the fight against abortion.

"I believe all life is sacred and that every individual, including the unborn, should be treated with dignity and compassion," he said in a letter to the secretary of state on Friday evening.

Since the US Supreme Court overturned a 1973 ruling that established abortion as a constitutional right last year, anti-abortion activists have sought ways to enshrine a ban across the nation.

About 15 states already restrict access to mifepristone by requiring a physician to provide it, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research group.

Mississippi's last abortion clinic - in pictures

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  Anti-abortion activist Coleman Boyd speaks with a clinic escort. Willy Lowry / The National

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  Security guard Keswick Farrar stands guard outside of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation, the last abortion clinic in Mississippi. Willy Lowry / The National

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  A clinic escort looks down the street at anti-abortion protesters outside of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National

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  Coleman Boyd, an ER physician, protests against abortion outside of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National

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  Anti-abortion Doug Hiser prays in front of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National

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  Anti-abortion activist Allan Siders protests outside of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National

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  A clinic escort stands outside the Jackson Women's Health Organisation, known as the Pink House. Willy Lowry / The National

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  A clinic escort holds a sign reminding women that 'abortion remains legal in Mississippi'. Willy Lowry / The National

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  Jean Comley is an 83-year-old clinic escort. Willy Lowry / The National

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  three security guards stand outside of the Jackson Women's Health Orginisation. Willy Lowry / The National

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  Coleman Boyd protests against abortions outside of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National

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  An anti-abortion protester yells at a security guard outside of the centre. Willy Lowry / The National

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  Anti-abortion protester Coleman Boyd speaks with clinic escort Derenda Hancock. Willy Lowry / The National

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  The Jackson Women's health organisation is the last abortion clinic in Mississippi. Photo: Derenda Hancock

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  A sign outside the Jackson Women's Health Organisation reads: 'If men got pregnant, you could get an abortion at an ATM'. Willy Lowry / The National

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  The Jackson Women's Health Organisation is also known as the Pink House. Willy Lowry / The National

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  A clinic escort speaks with anti-abortion protesters. Willy Lowry / The National

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  The Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Photo: Derenda Hancock

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  A clinic escort stands outside the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National

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  A pro-choice sign rests on a chair outside of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National