New site launched to track attacks on abortion pill reversal

As California Attorney General Rob Bonta continues to fight against allowing the recommendation of 'abortion pill reversal,' the Thomas More Society has launched a site allowing Americans to track nationwide attacks and litigation against the protocol.

Key Takeaways:

• Bonta filed a lawsuit in 2023 against Heartbeat International and RealOptions Obria for “misleading patients” about 'abortion pill reversal.'

• At issue is the phrasing "safe and effective," as Bonta claims 'abortion pill reversal' (APR) is unproven and risky.

• New York Attorney General Letitia James also sued Heartbeat International in NY, along with 11 other pregnancy resource centers (PRCs).

• The Thomas More Society, which is defending the PRCs against the lawsuits, has launched a dedicated resource hub to track litigation against 'abortion pill reversal.'

The Backstory:

In 2023, Bonta filed a lawsuit against Heartbeat International and RealOptions Obria, two PRCs which share information about 'abortion pill reversal.' Bonta said APR "misleads women," and denied that women experience abortion regret. In a press release, he said:

Those who are struggling with the complex decision to get an abortion deserve support and trustworthy guidance — not lies and misinformation. And let me be clear: the evidence shows that the vast majority of people do not regret their decision to have an abortion — more than 95% of patients who undergo an abortion later say they made the right decision.

HBI and RealOptions took advantage of pregnant patients at a deeply vulnerable time in their lives, using false and misleading claims to lure them in and mislead them about a potentially risky procedure.

A similar lawsuit was filed by James against multiple PRCs in 2024.

'Abortion pill reversal' is the administration of the pregnancy-supporting hormone progesterone in an effort to outcompete the progesterone-blocking effects of the abortion pill, mifepristone.

Doctors Reveal the Truth About Abortion Pill Reversal Treatment

it is unclear where AG Bonta obtained his statistics on abortion regret, but one potential source may have been the flawed Turnaway Study, which has been repeatedly debunked. James, meanwhile, cited a study from pro-abortion researcher Mitchell Creinin, who halted his study early after two of the 12 participants dropped out, and three women experienced “severe hemorrhage requiring ambulance transport to hospital.”

Two of those three women had received a placebo, meaning they received no progesterone, while one received progesterone. Live Action News pointed out that the study showed:

Twice as many patients who were given progesterone instead of a placebo saw their pregnancies continue, and twice as many patients who received the placebo were transported to the hospital via ambulance.

[Dr.] Christina Francis [of the American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs] previously responded to the accusations of danger in Creinin’s study in a statement to Live Action News, saying, “It actually was only one woman who received progesterone that was taken to the hospital and two who received placebo. The one who received progesterone completed her abortion and required no further treatment. The two who did NOT receive progesterone both had to have emergency surgery and one had to have a transfusion.” (emphasis added)

The Details:

In an e-mailed press release, the Thomas More Society announced the launch of a dedicated online resource hub, "Defending Second Chances." At the site, followers can find trial updates, court filings, testimonies from mothers, legal analysis, and resources for PRCs also under attack, all in one place.

This resource is vital, now more than ever. Not only are there several lawsuits pending, but the attacks on abortion pill reversal also show no signs of abating. And all the while, chemical abortions are growing more and more common.

"More than two-thirds of abortions in the United States are now chemical abortions," Katie Clancy, communications director for the Thomas More Society, said. "APR is a lifeline to women who change their minds after taking the first of the two abortion drugs and want to attempt to stop their abortion and continue their pregnancy."