Who’s doing a new ‘TelAbortion’ abortion pill study? Groups who would profit from abortion’s expansion.

A new abortion pill study glorifying self-managed abortions is being funded by the pro-abortion TARA Health Foundation, the same organization behind funding dangerous abortion pills on California college campuses. The results were published by the Journal Contraception, which has failed to list previous financial conflicts tied to the abortion pill’s manufacturer, DANCO, in past reports. According to authors connected to Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion organizations seeking to expand abortion, the study allegedly proves that bypassing safety requirements (REMS) put in place by the FDA and allowing direct to consumer “TelAbortion” (telemedicine) dispension of abortion pills, “has the potential to increase abortion access by increasing the reach of providers and by offering people the option of obtaining abortion care without an in-person visit to an abortion provider.” And that, it appears, has really been the goal of this “study” all along.

Who will benefit from an increase to “abortion access?” Answer: The pill’s manufacturer, DANCO Laboratories, LLC , a secretly organized company which was put in place by the eugenics-founded Population Council and was seeded with millions from The Packard Foundation, an original investor of Danco. In 1998, Packard seeded the company with $10 million and their investment included a $14 million loan as early as 1996 to bring the drug to the US, as well as additional grants made in 2000, 2004, and 2009. More here.

Packard investment Danco 14 million 2001 and population council

Ironically, Packard isn’t openly associated with this study. Instead, the study claims “financial support” came from”the Tara Health Foundation and several anonymous donors.”

Live Action News remains suspicious that these “anonymous donors” could include Packard or other known DANCO investors such as George Soros, Warren Buffett, and the California-based Kaiser Family Foundation. But we may never know.

What we do know is that the Tara Health Foundation (THF) has been planning to expand abortion through philanthropic measures for some time. This is outlined in a strategy supported by THF, commissioned by Reproductive Health Investors Alliance Steering Committee and published on THF’s website. It includes a push for “home use” abortion, elimination of FDA’s safety requirements known as REMS, and lists Packard as a steering committee member.

Tara Health Foundation’s strategy – published in 2017 – concludes in part:

• Federal REMS regulations impede access to medication abortion.

• Making medication abortion more easily available by Rx would increase the ease of access.

• The threat of criminalization makes self sourced Mifeprex difficult to research.

• An outdated FDA protocol of mifepristone limits access with a smaller gestational window and less procedural flexibility.

• Telemedicine bans also impact potential access to medication abortions, particularly for women in rural areas.

More on TARA Health:

• Founder Ruth Shaber attends Packard-funded events.

• Board Secretary, Rivka Gordon, is associated with Kaiser Permanente and according to their website, serves on Planned Parenthood’s National Medical Committee.

• Grantmaking staffer, Elise Belusa was formerly employed by ANSIRH at UCSF which trains abortion providers and provides later abortions at its Women’s Option Center, where Belusa formerly worked.

• Pledged to fund abortion pills on college campuses in California.

• Packard, TARA Health, and others funded a National Academy of Sciences review, claiming abortion was safe.

• Published plan

According to the manuscript obtained by Live Action News, the study’s TelAbortion Project Team includes Guttmacher Institute and the Society of Family Planning (SFP). It also includes pro-abortion Gynuity Health Projects, sponsoring the move to advance TelAbortion.

Gynuity Health Projects: 

Gynuity was founded by Beverly Winikoff, M.D., M.P.H, (an individual listed on the study’s “TelAbortion Project Team”). According to the website, Winikoff was previously employed at the Population Council, which (as stated before) brought the abortion pill into the US and set up the pill’s manufacturer, DANCO.

In addition, Gynuity is funded by DANCO’s original investor, the Packard Foundation. It has worked to expand abortion, and it conducts abortion pill clinical trials.

Gynuity funded by population control organizations

Packard’s money trail to Gynuity has been mysteriously scrubbed but remains online in a cached version (images below):

Authors of the study are associated as follows: 

Gynuity

Elizabeth Raymond:

• Sits on editorial board of Journal Contraception.

• Joined Gynuity in 2010 as senior medical associate.

• Planned Parenthood provider, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which honored her with award in 2005.

• Gynuity’s principal investigator in the abortion pill study.

• Told New York Times if study shows telemedicine and mail approach works, it could encourage FDA to stop restrictions on mifepristone.

Erica Chong:

• Director at Gynuity and principal investigator in the abortion pill study.

Beverly Winikoff:

• Founder/President of Gynuity.

• Served on boards of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health and National Abortion Federation.

Ingrida Platais:

• Authored other Packard funded studies.

Philicia W. Castillo:

• Guttmacher research associate.

Society of Family Planning (SFP) 

Mary Tschann

• Previous associate at UCSF’s Bixby Center.

Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette:

Paula Bednarek:

• Works at Planned Parenthood and faculty at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

Meghan Keadyg:

• Contact for clinical trial of abortion pill at Planned Parenthood.

NY’s Choices Women’s Medical Center: 

Esther Priegue

Oregon Health & Science University: 

Ariela Schnyere and Maureen Baldwin

University of Hawaii

Bliss Kaneshiro and Tiana Fontanilla

Maine Family Planning: 

Leah Coplon and Nicole Mathieuf

Claiming “anonymous donors” in studies pushing for abortion pill expansion is deceptive, especially after Live Action News exposed previous glaring conflicts involving the pill’s investors. If this results in the FDA lifting REMS safety protections, it could also prove deadly for women and under aged girls. While the media fails to scrutinize those financing these studies, Live Action News is committed to continue to expose who they really are.

READ PART ONE of this series here.

“Like” Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!