New York AG Tries to Censor Information About Abortion Pill Reversal

Statistics show abortion pill reversal (APR) has saved the lives of thousands of unborn children by countering the lethal effects of abortion drugs. Just ask Maranda, a New York woman who gave birth to a healthy daughter in late 2022.

When Maranda discovered she was pregnant, she didn’t think she was ready to be a mother, and the baby’s father did not want her to have the child. She took the first of two drugs commonly used to cause an abortion, but she quickly came to regret her decision.

Thanks in part to the website of a Syracuse-based pregnancy center, Maranda learned about the possibility of APR. The pregnancy center referred her to a medical professional who guided her through the APR process, and about seven months later, she gave birth to her daughter, Myli’anna.

Unfortunately, New York Attorney General Letitia James is attempting to unlawfully censor information about APR. If Attorney General James had her way, Myli’anna would not be alive today because women could not be told about the option of abortion pill reversal.

How does abortion pill reversal work?

Chemical abortions typically involve women taking two drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol. Some women quickly regret the decision to take mifepristone (or were forced to take it against their will) and change their minds about completing the abortion before taking misoprostol. APR provides these women with a chance to save their babies.

Mifepristone blocks naturally occurring progesterone in a woman’s body which can cause the baby to detach from the uterus and starve him of nutrients. In the APR process, medical professionals prescribe women supplemental progesterone in order to compete with the mifepristone. Progesterone supplements have been used for decades to support high-risk pregnancies and have been used to effectively counter the effects of mifepristone in some scenarios.

While APR is not guaranteed to reverse the effects of abortion drugs, research shows it has a 64-68 percent success rate, and statistics indicate it has likely saved over 5,000 unborn children. Since progesterone is a hormone that pregnant women naturally produce, an appropriate prescription does not put women or their unborn children in danger.

But Attorney General James ignored these facts and sued 11 faith-based, pro-life pregnancy centers and a network of affiliated centers in the state because they made positive—and truthful—claims about the safety and efficacy of APR. The attorney general claims, despite the living, breathing evidence, that abortion drugs are irreversible, and no one may tell women about the option of APR.

ADF is challenging the attorney general’s unlawful censorship

By targeting pro-life pregnancy centers for speaking truthfully about APR, Attorney General James is violating the First Amendment. And her illegal actions harm more than just the pregnancy centers named in the suit.

Any pregnancy center or network in New York that has made positive and factual claims about APR, including the National Institute for Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) and some of its members, could face litigation from the state.

NIFLA is a nonprofit organization that provides its pregnancy center members with legal resources, training, and support to develop a network of life-affirming ministries. Its membership includes 51 pregnancy centers in the state of New York, including Gianna’s House and Options Care Center.

NIFLA, Gianna’s House, and Options Care Center have all provided truthful information about the option of APR. They want to continue speaking about this important process to potentially save lives, but because of the attorney general’s censorship campaign, they could face costly litigation and punishment if they do so.

Attorney General James is targeting pro-life pregnancy centers because they tell women about the possibility of abortion pill reversal. She is discriminating against these pregnancy centers because of their beliefs, and she is denying women the freedom to continue their pregnancies by censoring those who promote it. For these reasons, ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit challenging this unlawful censorship.

National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. James

• May 2024: ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of NIFLA, Gianna’s House, and Options Care Center to protect the First Amendment rights of pro-life pregnancy centers.
• August 2024: ADF attorneys participated in oral argument in the case at a federal district court, and the court ruled that NIFLA, Gianna’s House, and Options Care Center are free to tell women about APR.