Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, abortion has become commonplace. Despite the overturning of the Roe decision, abortion remains legal in most states.
Before the abortion pill, most abortions were surgical abortions. Young women who had them often experienced feelings of regret and anguish as they walked out of the abortion facility after the procedure. Sadly, there was no way for them to undo what they had just done. For many – both women and men – the trauma of that experience has haunted them.
Today, most abortions are performed through the use of the abortion pill. But unlike with surgical abortions, young women who take the abortion pill and subsequently experience regret may not be too late to save their babies. Women who realize they have acted too impulsively or rashly in taking the abortion pill now have an option: an antidote that can reverse the process.
How Abortion Pill Reversal Works
The abortion pill is actually more than one pill. The first drug inhibits the mother’s production of the natural hormone progesterone, which her body produces to support the baby. When the progesterone is blocked, the baby cannot stay attached to the placenta, which receives oxygen and nutrition through the mother’s blood. The baby thus suffocates and dies.
The second drug, taken about 48 hours after the first, causes very strong and painful contractions. The dosage is more than ten times what is given to women when used to assist labor during childbirth. This drug then causes the expulsion of the baby and the placenta from the uterus through the birth canal. The attendant bleeding is often very heavy and can last for more than a week. Medical complications from taking the abortion pill are relatively common.
So how do you stop this process? The antidote is simple: progesterone.
Because the first drug blocks the mother’s production of progesterone, the antidote is to restore progesterone, which the mother’s body would produce without the abortion pill. If the baby is still attached to the placenta when this antidote is taken, chances are high that the pregnancy will continue normally, as though the mother never took the abortion pill.
Because progesterone is natural, it is completely safe. Progesterone has been administered to pregnant women for over 50 years, and no adverse effects have been found that affect either mothers or their children.
Where to Turn If You Have Abortion Pill Regret
If you take the abortion pill and want to reverse the process, the most important thing is to act quickly and before the second drug is taken. Call an abortion pill reversal hotline for a referral. At Open Arms Real Choices Clinic, we recommend calling the hotline at either Heartbeat International or Abortion Pill Reversal. They can direct you to clinics located all around the country that can reverse abortions; some Emergency Room facilities can also provide assistance. Even if 72 hours have passed, your baby may still be alive.
The nurse or doctor who takes your call will first ask you questions and evaluate whether a reversal is still possible. If so, they will prescribe progesterone, either as an oral pill, a vaginal pill, or an intramuscular injection. If you have peanut allergies, be sure to notify the doctor or pharmacist. Some abortion reversal medications may contain peanut oil; however, there are alternatives.
The doctor will send the prescription to your local pharmacy for you to pick up. To ensure your progesterone levels are where they should be and to counteract the effects of the abortion pill, most women will continue with progesterone treatment for the entire first trimester of the pregnancy.
What Is the Success Rate of the Abortion Pill Antidote?
The success rate of abortion reversal is around 64-68%. Abortion reversal is most effective if you start treatment as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours of taking the first abortion pill. However, a reversal can still be successful even if it is started up to three days later because the first abortion pill is not always effective at terminating a pregnancy. It is absolutely critical to take the antidote as soon as possible and not to take any additional medication given to you by the abortion clinic.
If you don’t have medical insurance and are worried about the cost of treatment, Open Arms Real Choices Clinic can help you access financial assistance. Most pregnancy resource clinics will provide some level of aid; we will not let lack of funds be the reason you lose your baby.
Getting Help After Reversal
If you succeed in saving your pregnancy, we can provide further assistance. We offer many no-cost or low-cost services, such as a limited obstetric ultrasound to confirm your pregnancy and make sure the baby is growing in the correct location. You can also get life and pregnancy counseling to help determine what to do next. If you do not believe you can keep your baby, we can also help you place your baby with an adoptive family.
We offer Life Skills classes to teach you how to take care of yourself during pregnancy and to learn problem-solving skills. If your partner is involved, he can make an appointment with us and learn how to support you, embrace fatherhood, and plan for the future.
Around one in three women get an abortion at some point in life, and many feel deep regret afterward. Call us at Open Arms Real Choices Clinic and tell us about your situation. We can help you consider other options and find the resources you need. If you have taken the abortion pill, we can direct you to the resources available that administer abortion pill reversal treatment.
