Advocates challenge obstetricians association on ‘misleading and harmful’ abortion pill reversal claims

A national women’s advocacy organization recently asked the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to have a meeting about Abortion Pill Reversal (APR), which ACOG has publicly dismissed as “unproven and unethical” and even “dangerous,” despite mounting evidence to the contrary. 

Stanton Public Policy Center, which is affiliated with life-affirming medical clinics across the US, sent a letter July 13 requesting a meeting with ACOG leadership to discuss what it described as misinformation surrounding the APR protocol, according to a July 22 press release from Stanton.

The letter signed by Stanton Founder and CEO Brandi Swindell challenges ACOG’s previous public statements about APR, which Swindell called “both misleading and harmful,” as well as “deeply troubling”.  

ACOG has said that the APR protocol “could be dangerous” and has asserted that there is “no scientific evidence or data” to support its effectiveness, according to Swindell.

APR uses progesterone to potentially reverse the effects of mifepristone, the initial drug in a chemical abortion, offering an option for women who change their minds after beginning the abortion pill process. 

According to Swindell, more than 7,000 women worldwide have carried pregnancies to term using this approach, and no harm to mothers or babies has been reported. 

Stanton’s letter to ACOG is accompanied by a video testimony from a former client who says the treatment enabled her to carry her child to term.

“Stanton eagerly awaits your response and the opportunity to work together in supporting informed choices and compassionate care for women,” Swindell concluded. 

In the release, Swindell reiterated the concern that ACOG’s current position limits women’s options.

“True reproductive care must include all options, especially those that empower women to find hope after beginning a chemical abortion,” Swindell said. “By rejecting APR protocol, ACOG is not only ignoring science but also silencing the voices of countless women who regret their initial decision and desperately seek medical support and a second chance.”

The group has offered to present clinical data and bring physicians, researchers, and former APR patients to the table for what it describes as an “open, evidence-based dialogue regarding APR and its role in comprehensive women’s healthcare,” according to the release.

Raising legal concerns, Patrick Mahoney, Stanton’s chief strategy officer, suggested in the release that ACOG’s position might conflict with federal laws that protect access to reproductive health services. Mahoney accused the professional body of allowing politics to override patient care. 

“ACOG has chosen to put politics and misinformation above science and true reproductive healthcare for women,” he said, later adding, “Stanton hopes that, in the interest of promoting medical integrity and ensuring women have full access to all their reproductive healthcare options, ACOG leadership will participate in a face-to-face meeting with Stanton’s delegation.”

Challenges related to APR are playing out on multiple fronts. For example, a federal appeals court is currently considering a challenge to California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s attempt to restrict public speech about APR, a case that could carry significant implications for medical professionals and pregnancy centers that offer or discuss the treatment.

>> Appeals court hears challenge of California AG’s suppression of speech about Abortion Pill Reversal <<

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