Some women change their mind about abortion after taking the first drug of the abortion regimen. For those women, Abortion Pill Reversal offers a medically sound choice to attempt to reverse the effects of Mifepristone, and to save their baby. The abortion pill reversal (APR) procedure can only occur after the first dose of a medical abortion (mifepristone/RU-486) is taken orally. APR has not been effective after the second set of pills (misoprostol). But just as abortion in itself is a controversial topic, so is the idea of being able to reverse a medical abortion.
How Does it Work?
Within 0 -72 hours after taking mifepristone (the first abortion pill), a woman can be prescribed a treatment of progesterone to hopefully counter the effects of the mifepristone. It is most effective in the first 24 hours.
The Abortion Pill Reversal process involves a large influx of progesterone into the pregnant woman’s system. This is because the first pill in a chemical abortion is mifepristone, which blocks progesterone from being absorbed by the womb. Mifepristone blocks where progesterone would normally be absorbed, so an influx of progesterone can outcompete for the available binding spaces. The progesterone regimen is usually continued for the rest of the first trimester.
How do I start the Abortion Pill Reversal process?
- Call the APR hotline at: (877) 558-0333.
- Our on-call Healthcare Professional will ask you some basic questions to see if reversal is possible.
- The Healthcare Professional will then connect you with a doctor or medical provider in your area to start treatment, if that is your choice.
The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) believes that the procedure is safe and significantly more effective than “seeing what happens” without the second medication, misoprostol. AAPLOG strongly supports efforts to require all women presenting for abortion be given information about abortion pill reversal as part of informed consent prior to abortion.
Is progesterone safe?
Progesterone has been used in pregnancies for decades without any significant undesired effects. Many patients with high risk for miscarriage pregnancies are treated with progesterone throughout the first trimester without issues. Natural progesterone is also used in IVF pregnancies with no ill effects.
As with any hormone, there are some risks; however, since progesterone has been so well tolerated, there is no reason label the procedure “dangerous.”
Progesterone, when used in this way, is not necessarily FDA approved. However, it is still used without legal issues.
How can I find out more information?
There is a 24-hour, nurse-staffed hotline that you can call, The Abortion Pill Reversal Hotline, at 1-877-558-0333. You can also visit them online at AbortionPillReversal.com.
Your local pregnancy center, your family doctor, or your OB/GYN may be able to provide you with more information as well.
