Abortion Pill Reversal 101


California's Attorney General has sued Heartbeat to prevent us from advertising Abortion Pill Reversal. If you feel so called, you can stand with us as we continue to push back against pro-abortion lies against the good work of pregnancy help. We know this will be a long battle, and we also have faith in the victory!

It is believed that upwards of 80% of all abortions in the U.S. occur through chemical abortion, the abortion pill. 

The abortion pill comes in two parts and is approved by the FDA for use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy. The first chemical, mifepristone (or RU-486), is the first pill used in a chemical abortion and blocks the effects of progesterone, a hormone necessary for a pregnancy to thrive. The second part, misoprostol, expels the baby. 

Many women regret their abortions—and some choose to reverse the effects of chemical abortion drugs before taking the second drug, often saving their baby’s life. If a woman has regrets after taking the first pill, the pregnancy may be saved by the Abortion Pill Rescue Network.

  • There is a window between the first and second chemical abortion drug where the effects can be reversed, and the baby can be saved.
  • Chemical abortion is typically done up to 10 weeks gestation, when an unborn baby has a heartbeat, fingers and toes, and his unique fingerprints begin to form.
  • Abortion Pill Reversal uses the natural hormone progesterone to counteract the life-ending effects of chemical abortion drugs.
  • Data suggests that Abortion Pill Reversal has saved over 4,500 unborn lives and has a 64-68% success rate.
  • Women should have the choice to reconsider going through with an abortion.
  • Women deserve real healthcare.

How does Abortion Pill Reversal work?

Progesterone is a natural hormone needed to sustain pregnancy and has been used for decades to safely and effectively prevent miscarriage and forestall preterm labor. Abortion pill reversal displaces mifepristone (the first drug in a chemical abortion) from progesterone receptors using the natural progesterone hormone, counteracting the effects of mifepristone and allowing the baby to continue growing. For women who have begun abortion pill reversal, progesterone treatment is continued through the end of the first trimester at a minimum, and beyond that if needed.

What are the side effects of Abortion Pill Reversal?

Progesterone is a natural hormone necessary for sustaining a pregnancy. For some women, progesterone may cause minor side effects including sleepiness, dizziness, and headaches.

Chemical abortion side effects include bleeding, life-threatening infections, and the inability to have future successful pregnancies and may require emergency medical treatment, surgeries, blood transfusions, and hysterectomies. The FDA’s currently approved label for mifepristone also states that between 2.9-4.6% of women will end up in an emergency room. Additionally, women who take the drugs at home face the mental anguish of performing their own abortion. Many women report being surprised by the sheer volume of bleeding and are haunted by the image of the dead child. In fact, some abortionists advise women not to look at all at the aborted baby. Additionally, the FDA and abortion activists are pushing for chemical abortion by mail, only increasing the danger to women, as there is no in-person doctor’s visit and no ultrasound confirming how developed the baby is or if the pregnancy is ectopic.

Why should doctors be able to use abortion pill reversal when it’s not approved by the FDA?

Progesterone is a natural hormone needed to sustain pregnancy and has been used for decades to safely and effectively prevent miscarriage and forestall preterm labor. Doctors may prescribe abortion pill reversal as part of an off-label use of the treatment. Pregnant women shouldn’t be denied treatment to save their unborn child just because they took the first abortion drug but changed their mind.

Healthy Outcomes

The protocol used in the Abortion Pill Reversal process is nothing new. In fact, progesterone has been used routinely and safely with pregnancy since the 1950s.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

A 2018 peer-reviewed study showed positive results

  • 64%-68% of the pregnancies were saved through Abortion Pill Reversal
  • There was no increase in birth defects
  • Lower preterm delivery rate than the general population

1. [Vaux NW and Rakoff AE: Estrogen-progesterone therapy: A new approach in the treatment of habitual abortion. Am J Obst Gynec 50:353, 1945.
2. Jones, GES: Some newer aspects of the management of infertility. JAMA 141:1123, 1949.]
3. [Progesterone support in pregnancy has been in use for nearly 60 years, having received its start with publications dating back to the 1940s.] (https://www.naprotechnology.com/progesterone.htm)
4. [Progestin Therapy to Prevent Preterm Birth: History and Effectiveness of Current Strategies and Development of Novel Approaches] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6766339/
5. [The Use of Progesterone for Prevention of Preterm Birth] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5653589_The_Use_of_Progesterone_for_Prevention_of_Preterm_Birth
6. [The history of natural progesterone, the never-ending story] https://tahomaclinic.com/Private/Articles1/BHRT/Piette%202018%20-%20The%20history%20of%20natural%20progesterone,%20the%20never-ending%20story.pdf