The Reversal Process
- A pregnant woman chooses to abort and is prescribed two drugs to kill and expel the baby: the first, mifepristone, is usually taken at the doctor's clinic or abortion facility. The woman is sent home with the second drug, misoprostol. The abortion-pill can also be ordered by phone and delivered to the woman's home. [Click here to read more about this dangerous practice, which I liken to a backyard abortion.]
- If she changes her mind about aborting before taking the second drug, there is a good chance the abortion can be stopped.
- The optimum time for starting the reversal protocol is within 24 hours of taking mifepristone, but reversals have been successful up to 72 hours.
- The reversal protocol involves giving the mother doses of progesterone for the rest of the first trimester. Progesterone has been used safely during pregnancy for over 40 years, and doesn't harm pre-born babies.
- The procedure has a 55% success-rate in the US.
The US leads the way
Successful abortion-pill reversals have been taking place in the US for some time, with over 200 healthy babies born so far, and many more healthy babies in utero. The Abortion Pill Reversal website lists many testimonies by women who have taken the first drug in a medical abortion protocol but then regretted wanting an abortion, and sought a reversal. The APR team abides by these foundational principles:
- It is reasonable and appropriate to respect a woman's right to choose to reverse a medical induced abortion.
- A woman should never be coerced into starting or continuing an abortion.
- Human beings are valuable and should be protected at all stages of their development.
- Mifepristone does not significantly increase the chances of birth defects. Reversing a mifepristone medical abortion is within reasonable medical practice.
- Progesterone can reverse the effects of mifepristone and has been safely used in pregnancy for over 40 years.
Successes in Australia
Now, the procedure is starting to become available in Australia. Deb Garrett, of Real Choices Australia, has led the charge to establish a national network of professionals who can deliver the protocol to mothers in crisis. Deb also plans to set up a database which will record details of all attempted reversals, and which can act as evidence to convince the medical fraternity of the protocol's effectiveness. Deb's main task at the moment is to raise money to fund this work - you can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to donate or for more information. Click here to read an interview I did last year with Deb - it explains some of the ways we can help support this important work.
Interview with a Victorian Pro-Life GP
Hi Dr. John (I've used an alias) and thanks for doing this interview for The Freedoms Project.
I've heard that women are saying RU-486/morning-after pill is just a pill, that they're not causing abortions. From where is this lie originating?
Both RU-486 and the “morning after pill” cause abortions. RU-486 does it by arresting the development of the placenta and thus starving the embryo of nutrients. The “morning after pill” does it by stopping the implantation on the conceptus into the womb. I doubt that health workers involved with abortion whether they be from FPC’s, Marie Stopes or otherwise would tell the patient what is really happening, which is foeticide: the intentional killing of an unborn human being.
In your opinion, where is the best place to promote abortion-pill reversal?
I think that the availability of abortion reversal therapy needs to be publicised and, as most (I think) medical abortions are administered at the abortion clinics, it makes sense that this publicity should available to women when they leave the abortion clinic because if reversal treatment is commenced within 24-48 hours (the earlier the better) there is a much higher success rate.
Dr. John, can you tell us about your experience with an abortion-pill reversal:
Earlier this year, due to Debbie’s good work, (she set up the network and referred the patient to me) I prescribed the abortion reversal treatment. The mother saw me 24 hours after she had taken Mifepristone (RU-486). It was successful. The patient was able to find Debbie’s website herself, however most women, even doctors, would not know that this treatment exists.
[Note: Deb's website is out of action while she raises funds to continue her life-saving work. If you're in need of a doctor to perform a reversal, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
Dr. John, what impact have 'Safe-Access Zones' (abortion-facility exclusion zones) had on the potential for women to hear that medical abortions can be reversed?
The “bubble zone “ law restricts the availability of this vital information. Encountering these women is now outlawed, which is a restriction of choice for women who may not be aware of this treatment if they change their mind, and now we have evidence that many do. This information is vital especially as it appears that medical abortions will soon overtake surgical abortions: https://www.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-abortion-prescription-now-rivals-surgery-u-women-050621798.html
Thanks for your time, Dr. John*, and we hope you have the opportunity to help many more mothers who regret wanting an abortion.
What Can I Do?
If you'd like to help more women to continue their pregnancies after a medical abortion, there are a few ways to contribute:
- Donate to Australian Mifepristone Reversal: email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Promote information about successful reversals on social media
- Talk to your GP about the procedure & let him know that it is successful
- Learn more about exclusion-zones here and here:
