Alliance Defending Freedom has filed a lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James on behalf of two nonprofit pro-life pregnancy centers and one nonprofit network of affiliated centers in response to her decision to target pro-life pregnancy resource centers for their promotion and use of “abortion pill reversal” (APR). The lawsuit asks for James to be prohibited from applying New York business law to target the pro-life groups.
The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), Gianna’s House, and Options Care Center are suing James, arguing that she is violating the First Amendment through her lawsuit against 11 pro-life pregnancy centers. James is accusing the pro-life organizations of spreading “false and misleading” information regarding APR. In response, the pregnancy centers filed a lawsuit of their own.
“New York is intentionally denying women the freedom to continue their pregnancies by censoring those who promote it. They are forcing women to follow through with an abortion — even if they don’t want to,” said Thomas Glessner, president and founder of NIFLA. “How does it even remotely make sense to trust women with their medical decisions if you are actively trying to hide scientifically-based information from them? It makes no sense, nor is it legal.”
APR has been shown to decrease the effects of the abortion pill regimen, which is made up of two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone is taken first and blocks the naturally occurring pregnancy hormone progesterone, depriving the developing child of oxygen and nutrients. Then misoprostol causes contractions that expel the baby. If a woman takes mifepristone and regrets it, she can contact the APR Hotline to be connected with a doctor who will administer progesterone to her in an attempt to outcompete the progesterone-blocking effects of mifepristone to try to save the baby. Progesterone has been used for decades to help women with a history of miscarriage to carry a baby to term. It is a naturally occurring pregnancy hormone.
Dr. George Delgado, pioneer of the “abortion pill reversal” protocol, produced a study showing that it has an effectiveness rate of up to 68%. To date, over 5,000 children have reportedly been born to mothers who changed their minds after beginning the abortion pill process and were able to access APR.
“Many women regret their abortions, and some seek to stop the effects of chemical abortion drugs before taking the second drug in the abortion drug process. Taking supplemental progesterone at that time can often save their baby’s life,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Gabriella McIntyre, who is representing the pro-life organizations. “The New York attorney general, however, is doing everything she can to deny women the freedom to make that choice.”
According to the Daily Wire, the lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.
“Despite saying that she supports women’s choice, the Attorney General seeks to deprive women who change their mind and want to continue their pregnancies, or who are coerced or tricked into a chemical abortion, of truthful information about progesterone treatment, a safe option that has been used by obstetrician-gynecologists to help maintain pregnancies for decades,” the lawsuit states.
