Why anti-abortion groups are citing the ideas of a 19th-century 'vice reformer'
Anthony Comstock pushed Congress to crack down on what he saw as harmful vices, such as pornography and contraception. An 1873 law named for him has appeared in recent court battles over abortion.
A federal case challenging access to a common abortion pill is reviving discussions about a 150-year-old anti-obscenity law.
In 1873, what's known as the Comstock Act banned multiple items related to sex and reproductive health that many people see as quite ordinary today. Until recently, that law had been largely forgotten or ignored. But it's being cited in the federal case out of Texas that could curb access to the widely used abortion pill mifepristone.
What is the Comstock Act?
The law prohibits using the mail to spread information or materials deemed "obscene." The term "obscenity" , but the statute did explicitly include anything used to cause an
