Miscellaneous
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
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Babies Go to Congress
Heartbeat International’s Babies Go to Congress campaign may be one of the most powerful Pro-Life events on Capitol Hill. Just imagine your lawmakers meeting with women who chose life at your center! Working with you and your clients, we can communicate with various congressional offices from both sides of the aisle. After all, who can turn away smiling mothers, with happy babies in hand, who share their stories of the love and support they found at their local pregnancy help center?
One by one these moms will share their stories of how your organization helped them through a difficult time in their life. Some with a pregnancy test, some with housing, some with ultrasound, and some with mentorship programs... each story is different but highlights the fact that once each woman walked through your door, you continued to build a relationship and invest in them.
Pregnancy help centers are great for America. We know this. Women know this. Your centers and organizations provided resources and support when no one else did.
View the news coverage for our 2023 Babies Go to Congress event below:
Additional articles can be found in Townhall, the Daily Signal, CBN, and CNS News, as well as coverage in our very own Pregnancy Help News.
Because of organizations like yours, we are able to continue bringing mothers and babies to Washington, D.C., to deliver the good news of pregnancy help! Will you join us?
Thanks to centers like yours, more than 180 moms and babies have gone to D.C. and told their stories in nearly 400 Congressional offices since our first trip in 2009! Every one of these moms and their babies are living proof that pregnancy centers are great for America.
Why You Should Join Babies Go to Congress
Did you also know that your center can greatly benefit from participating in Babies Go to Congress?
Here are just a few ways that your center can benefit:
1. Local and National Media Exposure
Babies Go to Congress is an excellent way for you to utilize local and national media to tout the good work that your ministry is doing in your community. We all know the constant attacks on pregnancy help centers that are being released from mainstream media, but no reporter can argue with a woman's real-life story of finding help and support at your center.
2. Media/Event Training
While participating in Babies Go to Congress you will receive training that is vital when talking to the media. Heartbeat will train you in developing talking points that will keep you on target when speaking to friendly or unfriendly media outlets. Through this training you will also be empowered to return home and have your own "Babies Go to Congress" event in your state capitol or city.
3. Donor Relations
What donor doesn't enjoy giving to a specific project? Participating in Babies Go to Congress is not free. But it does open a golden opportunity for you to engage your donors in the lead-up to a major event that will make a major impact on a national level.
4. Pictures and Videos
Your center will have access and rights to the high-quality images and videos captured at Babies Go to Congress. Many centers have found these images to be very useful for events, banquets, and donor relations pieces.
5. The March for Life
Have you ever participated in the national March for Life? If not, this is an opportunity you do not want to miss! The March for Life is the largest gathering of pro-life people in the country. It is a powerful event that will energize and inspire you and your group. You will go home wanting to share this experience with everyone you know and make plans to attend next year!