California is suing two anti-abortion organisations for telling patients they could reverse the effects of an abortion pill.
Heartbeat International (HBI) and RealOptions Obria claimed a high dose of the hormone progesterone could undo the effects of the mifepristone pill. But the only clinical trial of the process was stopped after patients reported severe bleeding.
HBI said it had not yet been served the lawsuit. California's attorney general, Rob Bonta, accused the organisations of violating a law against fraudulent business practices in a complaint filed to Alameda County Superior Court.
“Those who are struggling with the complex decision to get an abortion deserve support and trustworthy guidance – not lies and misinformation,” he said in a statement. His lawsuit has requested a court order which would block HBI and RealOptions from advising for abortion pill reversal.
The abortion pill is taken in two doses; the first, mifepristone, followed by a second drug; misoprostol.
In California it can be taken up to 11 weeks after the final day of the menstrual cycle. Advocates for the unproven treatment believe a high dose of progesterone can undo the effects of mifepristone.
HBI, an international anti-abortion group with thousands of pregnancy crisis centres across the US, said that women who regret taking the first part of the abortion pill; mifepristone, “deserve the right to try and save their pregnancies”.
RealOptions – which operates five crisis pregnancy centres in California – did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters or the Associated Press news agencies. Earlier this year, the unproven abortion pill reversal treatment was banned in Colorado.
However, around a dozen other states have law which require abortion providers to tell patients about reversal treatments. However, in Kansas, a law was passed that obliged healthcare providers to notify patients that a medication abortion can be reversed.
That law is currently being challenged by planned parenthood. Elsewhere, a Texas judge suspended federal approval for mifepristone in response to a lawsuit by anti-abortion activists.
— CutC by bbc.com
