There have been attempts to “reverse,” or cancel out, the mifepristone dose by administering a considerable dose of progesterone — a naturally occurring hormone — relatively soon after the mifepristone is consumed.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved such a treatment, and the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists says the treatment is “not based on science” and does “not meet clinical standards.”
“Despite this,” the organization said in a web post, “in states across the country, politicians are advancing legislation to require physicians to recite a script that a medication abortion can be ‘reversed’ with doses of progesterone, to cause confusion and perpetuate stigma, and to steer women to this unproven medical approach. Unfounded legislative mandates like this one represent dangerous political interference and compromise patient care and safety.”
The bill proposal, which is not yet publicly available, has already found opponents and proponents entrenched on either side of the reproductive health care debate.
It’s garnered scorn from reproductive rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers, including state Rep. Anita Somani, D-Dublin, the chamber’s sole OB-GYN, who said the bill is pushing a treatment that is not FDA-approved.
Meanwhile, Ohio Right to Life and the Center for Christian Virtue are throwing their weight behind the proposal, with the former billing the mandate as “another layer of choice” for a state that has recently baked abortion protections into its constitution.
The bill
A draft of the legislation has been submitted to the Ohio House and was obtained by the Dayton Daily News. In it, Reps. Jonathan Newman, R-Troy, and Jennifer Gross, R-West Chester, propose:
- Creating a state website and hotline to direct people to “abortion reversal” treatments;
- Placing certain mandates on health care providers, like:
- Informing the patient, before prescribing mifepristone, that “it may be possible to reverse the intended effects of a chemical abortion before she takes misoprostol if she changes her mind, but that time is of the essence.”
- Informing the patient that they can receive more information by visiting a to-be-created state website.
- Requiring health care providers to provide the following statement to patients:
- “If you’ve started a chemical abortion but now regret it, you’re not alone. IT MAY NOT BE TOO LATE TO SAVE YOUR PREGNANCY.
- “It may be possible to avoid, cease, or even reverse the intended effects of a chemical abortion if the second pill, misoprostol, has not been taken. Studies suggest that abortion pill reversal is a safe and effective process that gives your baby a second chance at life. It has been shown to increase the chances of allowing the pregnancy to continue; however, the outcome of your particular reversal attempt cannot be guaranteed.
- “The Department of Health’s abortion pill reversal web site and hotline is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to connect you with a trusted medical professional nearby who can help you take the next step toward reversing the abortion. Time is critical.”
The bill goes on to say the patient, the “biological father of the unborn child,” and the “the unborn child’s grandparents” (if the patient is younger than 18) all have a right to pursue civil action against the health care provider if the law was not followed.
Advocates
Gross, and her joint sponsor, Newman, laid out the case Tuesday that this bill was not purely anti-abortion.
“This bill is about giving women full, informed choices of consent, not limiting them,” said Gross in a press conference at the Ohio Statehouse. “It doesn’t affect a woman’s initial decision to pursue an abortion, it simply ensures accurate, supportive resources are available if she changes her mind.”
Newman said he expects the bill to get broad support, given its focus on informing women of their options.
“The Department of Health will be required to publish information to inform the public that this reversal treatment exists, it is available, that it is safe and effective,” Newman said, later adding that he expects the FDA to approve the treatment down the line.
Opposition
In a Tuesday interview with the Dayton Daily News, Somani refuted their claims.
“The reality is that there has never been a randomized control study” for determining how safe the so-called abortion reversal treatment is. One study, she said, was stopped prematurely because of serious medical side effects.
Somani said there’s not yet a sufficient consensus on how safe progesterone — the “reversal” drug — is in such high doses. She said the most common use in pregnancies is a lower, consistent dose administered to people who have had miscarriages in the past.
And, Somani said, the bill would put providers in a situation where they are legally mandated to go against their Hippocratic Oath. “It’s lying to give misinformation in the context of something that is not proven, can be harmful, and you’re leaving out some key information,” she said.
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
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