A federal judge has temporarily blocked an Indiana law that required abortion providers to share information about the abortion pill reversal process with anyone seeking a chemical abortion (abortion pill). In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon found that pro-abortion groups challenging the law were reasonable in their claims that it violated the free speech of the abortion providers. The bill was slated to take effect July 1.
Governor Eric Holcomb signed the Indiana legislation in April. It was immediately contested by Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and other abortion providers, who claimed that it would confuse patients and force providers to give information that they claim is “dubious.” According to the Associated Press, Hanlon’s temporary ban puts a hold on the law while the lawsuit filed by the abortion advocates makes its way through the courts.
READ: Pro-life OBGYN explains how abortion pill reversal is possible
“While the State may require abortion providers to give a woman seeking an abortion certain types of information as part of the informed consent process, that information must, at a minimum, be truthful and not misleading,” Hanlon wrote in his ruling. “Plaintiffs have shown a reasonable likelihood of being able to show that the Required Disclosure is not,” he added.
The Indiana Attorney General’s office, which is defending the law, said in a court filing, “Patients have the right to choose not to take the second pill and pursue alternative options to save their pregnancies. Denying patients information regarding alternatives should they wish to continue their pregnancies harms women by depriving them of that choice.”
Unfortunately, Hanlon’s claim that abortion pill reversal information is “misleading” is a common misconception perpetuated by the abortion industry. Many insist that the abortion pill reversal process has no scientific basis. However, the abortion pill reversal process utilizes the common hormone progesterone to counteract the effects of the first abortion drug (mifepristone, a progesterone blocker) before the second drug (misoprostol, to cause contractions) is taken. A 2018 study found that the process is 64% to 68% effective, and there has been no increase in birth defects among children who have undergone the process. Progesterone has been commonly and safely given to women at risk of miscarriage for decades. Those attempting to discredit abortion pill reversal are those who have a vested financial interest in the abortion pill itself.
According to Heartbeat International, more than 2,000 lives have been saved through abortion pill reversal. Live Action News has also reported the stories of multiple women who feel joy and relief at the second chance they got with their children after contacting the Abortion Pill Reversal hotline.
The Hill reports that six states already have abortion pill reversal laws in place, while legislation in North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Tennessee has been blocked by the courts following similar legal challenges.
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