Opposition to the Abortion Pill Reversal Protocol Isn’t About Science, it’s about Abortion

Chemical abortions involve a two-step process, where a woman first takes a drug called mifepristone. She follows this, usually 24 to 48 hours later, by taking misoprostol. But if she begins to question her decision after taking the first drug, the effects can potentially be reversed, and her baby may be saved. But abortionists and abortion activists don’t want women to know that.

The abortion pill reversal protocol was first developed in 2009 by Dr. George Delgado, who designed it after he received a request from a sidewalk counselor who spoke with a woman who wanted to undo her chemical abortion if possible. The woman had taken the first part of a chemical abortion, a drug known as mifepristone, but then changed her mind about the abortion. Using his medical knowledge, Dr. Delgado designed a reversal protocol that utilized high-dose progesterone, which is a natural chemical produced by women during pregnancy. Her child survived.

Progesterone, which is often called the pregnancy hormone, is used by physicians to help women maintain their pregnancies if the women are in danger of having a miscarriage. The risk to women and their health is minimal, as the main side effects are a little dizziness and heartburn. As a result of its effectiveness, progesterone has been used for more than 50 years to help women continue their pregnancies and is FDA approved. It causes no adverse defects for the babies either. The preterm birth rate for women is also lower.

So, if progesterone is so safe and FDA approved, why do pro-abortion activists fight against sharing this information with women? Even Dr. Havey Kliman, of Yale’s School of Medicine, said in an interview with the New York Times that the basic medical foundation of the protocol “makes biological sense.” He even said that he would give his own daughter progesterone if she accidentally took mifepristone while pregnant. But abortion activists and even some physicians still fight against its use or even acknowledge the possibility of its effectiveness.

Here is how Planned Parenthood answers a question about the abortion pill reversal:

“Claims about treatments that reverse the effects of medication abortion are out there, and a handful of states require doctors and nurses to tell their patients about them before they can provide abortion care. But these claims haven’t been proven in reliable medical studies — nor have they been tested for safety, effectiveness, or the likelihood of side effects — so experts like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reject these untested supposed treatments.”

Most of that is not true. Yes, the testing is not as extensive as some studies, but ACOG knows that using progesterone is perfectly safe for women and logically would help reverse the effects of mifepristone. Many of those doctors who would argue against the abortion pill reversal protocol would likely prescribe it to their own patients who are at risk for miscarriage.

Dr. Delgado, the creator of the abortion pill reversal protocol, argues that there is a deeper, more philosophical battle going on.

“My speculation is that the reason why (abortionists are against the abortion pill reversal protocol) is that if you acknowledge that this treatment works you are also acknowledging that some women do change their minds,” Dr. Delgado said in a phone interview. “And when you acknowledge that women change their minds and want a second chance at choice, it shatters the narrative that abortion is a great good because if abortion was a great good why would someone change their mind? That is why they are battling so vigorously across the entire pro-abortion movement.”

Besides the ideological differences on abortion, there is no reason why pro-abortion activists should be against the abortion pill reversal protocol. That these activists remain in opposition demonstrates that they want to go to extreme lengths to protect abortion, no matter the cost. 

Dr. Delgado shared that one day he hopes that the abortion pill reversal becomes a standard medical treatment and is available to women in any emergency room across the country. Prayerfully, one day his vision will become a reality.

But in order to achieve this the network needs to continue its growth and the gain more of the requisite funding needed to produce medical studies that disprove the pro-abortion narrative. Keep these needs in prayer.

For women who want a second chance at life, there is hope. To reach the abortion pill reversal network, you can contact abortionpillreversal.com or call 1-877-558-0333.

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