Iowa bill would require abortion pill to be dispensed in person

Lawmakers in an Iowa Senate subcommittee advanced a bill that would prohibit virtual dispensation of the abortion pill, instead requiring women to receive the chemical abortion drugs in person under the supervision of a physician.

Key Takeaways:

• Members of an Iowa Senate panel advanced a bill that will require in-person dispensing of the abortion pill.

• Doctors will also be required to disclose abortion risks, as well as information about 'abortion pill reversal.'

• Most abortions are prohibited in Iowa after an embryonic heartbeat can be detected (about six weeks gestation).

• The bill will now go to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.

The Details:

Senate Study Bill 3115 would require that a woman undergo an in-person physical examination by a doctor prior to receiving the abortion pill, as well as information about the 'abortion pill reversal' process.

During the physical exam, the doctor would also be required to tell the woman of potential risks of the chemical abortion procedure, including that she may experience trauma after seeing the remains of her aborted child (as noted in Live Action's I Saw My Baby series).

“The abortion pill is a dangerous drug,” said Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Pulse Life Advocates, who helped author the proposal. “We would not want to see this drug on the market. But if it is going to be on the market, we want women to be as safe as they can be.”

READ: NEW ANALYSIS: Nearly 11% of women suffer ‘serious adverse events’ after taking abortion pill

Sen. Jason Schultz, who headed the Senate subcommittee, indicated his support of the bill as a way to curtail illegal abortion pill distribution through the mail.

“I can't get past the idea that we're dealing with a black market, unprescribed pharmaceuticals,” Schultz said.

The subcommittee panel advanced the bill in a vote of 2-1 on February 9, and it next heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.

Zoom Out:

Abortion in Iowa is currently prohibited after the detection of an embryonic heartbeat, which usually occurs around six weeks (though the heart starts beating an estimated 22 days post-fertilization). Despite the state's preborn protections, the abortion pill's availability via telehealth and mail order means that many Iowa women (and predatory men) are able to access abortion past the state's cutoff. The bill is intended to help curtail the illegal flow of abortion pills into the state.

The legislation also requires women to learn about the 'abortion pill reversal' process, in which bioidentical progesterone is administered to counteract the effects of the abortion pill (mifepristone). Though abortion supporters often speak out against the protocol, the 'Abortion Pill Reversal' website states:

Initial studies of APR have shown it has a 64-68% success rate.

Without the APR treatment, the first abortion pill may fail to abort the pregnancy on its own. In other words, your pregnancy may continue even without APR if you decide not to take the second abortion drug likely prescribed or provided to you.

APR has been shown to increase the chances of allowing the pregnancy to continue. However, the outcome of your particular reversal attempt cannot be guaranteed.

Tom Chapman, director of the Iowa Catholic Conference, spoke in favor of the legislation.

“Obviously, our group doesn't support abortion,” he said, according to the Des Moines Register. “But it seems best for women to see a medical professional before taking these pills. In our view, it doesn't interfere with the doctor-patient relationship. It actually requires one.”

Go Deeper:

Live Action News has shared many stories of women who credit 'abortion pill reversal' for saving their children's lives. Find some of them here:

• Woman praises 'abortion pill reversal': 'I'm so happy to be a mom'

• Pressured into a chemical abortion, she found help at a pregnancy center

• Heartbeat International says ‘abortion pill reversal’ has now saved 6,000 babies