Abortion Reversal is Not a Thing
Posted by Kelsey Grimes
February 13, 2018
Greetings, from your local policy nerds at URGE. We’ve got some news: “abortion reversal” is not a thing. You might be thinking “what the heck is that?”, or “those are some words I have not seen together before”, or “yeah, I already knew that.” Well, you know who doesn’t know that abortion reversal is not a thing? The Trump Administration.
Scott Lloyd, head of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), reportedly floated the idea of trying “abortion reversal” to stop the abortion of Jane Doe, a young immigrant held in ORR custody (don’t worry, Jane Doe got her abortion, despite the government fighting her every step of the way). Let’s chat for a minute about how messed up it is for the government to even suggest abortion reversal – namely because everyone deserves access to medically accurate information, not government-sanctioned lies.
Alright – so what’s this “abortion reversal” idea?
A medication abortion involves two pills: mifepristone and then, anywhere from six to 48 hours later, misoprostol. In most cases, the person has to take both pills to complete the abortion. The (not medically supported) idea behind an “abortion reversal” is, between the first and second pill, a series of progesterone injections could “reverse” the abortion. But, guess what? We (and the medical community) are calling bullshit.
Can you talk about why abortion reversal isn’t real?
Yes! That’s easy: it’s not supported by medical science.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says that “claims regarding abortion “reversal” treatment are not based on science and do not meet clinical standards.” In fact, there are no reliable studies that show any treatment can cause an abortion reversal.
So, what’s up with the Trump Administration talking about “abortion reversal?”
This whole “abortion reversal” thing is part of a larger scheme by the Trump Administration to discredit medication abortion, a totally safe and normal procedure, and to shame people seeking abortions. Similar to the idea of state-mandated counseling before an abortion and waiting periods, the idea of abortion reversal shows a deep distrust of people’s ability to make thoughtful decisions about themselves and their futures. How do we counter it? Keep being unapologetically #AbortionPositive!
In the case of Director Lloyd, it’s an example of the Trump Administration putting its own political beliefs ahead of a young person’s health and wellbeing. That is really not ok.
Which is why we are calling for Director Lloyd to be fired! Add your name to the petition now!
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