- Published on
On March 30, 2015, Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona signed into law Senate Bill 1318, which requires doctors to tell women* getting an abortion that "it may be possible to reverse the effects of a medication abortion if the woman changes her mind, but that time is of the essence", and that "information on and assistance with reversing the effects of a medication abortion is available on the Department of Health Services' website".
In the US, medication abortion is typically a two-step procedure, first involving taking mifepristone, and within two days or so, taking misoprostol. On its face, SB 1318 seems intended to inform people that if they change their mind during that window between the two medications, an evidence-based medical procedure is available to help "reverse" the effects of the mifepristone (spoiler: the bill doesn't actually accomplish this goal).
People should have evidence-based information about all of their reproductive options, so they can make the best choice for their own individual circumstances. Even though the proportion of women who wish to terminate a pregnancy and then change their mind after taking mifepristone is likely to be small, any such person should absolutely be made aware of any scientifically proven intervention that can help them safely achieve their reproductive goals. So, is there scientific evidence for abortion reversal?
In the US, medication abortion is typically a two-step procedure, first involving taking mifepristone, and within two days or so, taking misoprostol. On its face, SB 1318 seems intended to inform people that if they change their mind during that window between the two medications, an evidence-based medical procedure is available to help "reverse" the effects of the mifepristone (spoiler: the bill doesn't actually accomplish this goal).
People should have evidence-based information about all of their reproductive options, so they can make the best choice for their own individual circumstances. Even though the proportion of women who wish to terminate a pregnancy and then change their mind after taking mifepristone is likely to be small, any such person should absolutely be made aware of any scientifically proven intervention that can help them safely achieve their reproductive goals. So, is there scientific evidence for abortion reversal?