New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against Heartbeat International, an anti-abortion group, and 11 crisis pregnancy centers.
The lawsuit alleges that they have been misleading and potentially endangering women by falsely claiming to offer a treatment that can reverse the effects of the abortion pill mifepristone.
James sought legal action in a Manhattan state court, requesting an injunction to prevent Heartbeat International and the centers, spread across New York state, from advertising abortion pill reversal on their websites or elsewhere. Additionally, the lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages.
In her statement, James emphasized, “Abortions cannot be reversed.” She pointed out that any treatments claiming to do so lack scientific evidence and could pose safety risks.
Heartbeat International responded to the lawsuit, labeling it “a clear attempt to censor speech.” The group argued that such legal action would leave women who regret their chemical abortions without proper information and potentially force them to proceed with a procedure they no longer desire.
Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen used for medication abortion, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for terminating pregnancies within the first 10 weeks. Last year, medication abortion accounted for over 60% of abortions in the United States.
Scientific support lacking?
Advocates of medication abortion reversal suggest that the effects of mifepristone can be counteracted with a high dose of the hormone progesterone. However, there are no controlled clinical trials supporting the safety or efficacy of this procedure. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has stated that it lacks scientific support.
This lawsuit from New York coincides with a case before the U.S. Supreme Court involving abortion opponents seeking nationwide restrictions on mifepristone’s availability. Notably, one of the plaintiffs in that case, George Delgado, serves on Heartbeat International’s medical advisory board and is credited with developing abortion pill reversal.
Heartbeat International, an international anti-abortion group associated with over 2,000 crisis pregnancy centers nationwide, offers to connect women with providers who claim to perform abortion pill reversal. These crisis pregnancy centers aim to dissuade women from having abortions.
All the centers named in James’ lawsuit are listed in a directory maintained by Heartbeat International, with nine of them paying the organization an annual fee for affiliate status, according to the legal complaint.
James’ complaint noted that some of these centers’ websites purported to offer abortion pill reversal directly, while others directed visitors to Heartbeat International’s “Abortion Pill Rescue Network.”
This legal action from New York follows a similar lawsuit filed by California’s attorney general against Heartbeat International and its affiliates last September. Additionally, last October, a federal judge ruled against Colorado’s ban on abortion pill reversal treatment, and a judge in Kansas blocked a state law requiring healthcare providers to inform patients about the possibility of reversing medication abortion.
