NewMexico-based“CrisisPregnancyCenters”arePromo9ngUnethicalMedicalExperimenta9ononPregnantPeopleNewInves)ga)onReveals19%ofNewMexico-basedCPCsPromote

RenegadePrac)ceKnownas“Abor)onPillReversal”

(NewMexico,September15,2020)–Anewinves<ga<onshowsthatnineteenpercentof“crisispregnancycenters”basedinNewMexicopromoteanunethicalexperimentalprac<ceonpregnantpeoplecalled“abor<onpillreversal.”

“Claimsregardingabor<on‘reversal’treatmentarenotbasedonscienceanddonotmeetclinicalstandards,”accordingtotheAmericanCollegeofObstetriciansandGynecologists(ACOG).“So-calledabor<on‘reversal’proceduresareunprovenandunethical.”

Thisprac<ceisnotlimitedtoNewMexico.Theinves<ga<onfocusedoneightotherstatesinaddi<ontoNewMexico,including,California,Pennsylvania,andMinnesota.Despitewarningsfrommedicalexperts,thean<-abor<onmovementisfocusedonpushing“abor<onpillreversal”fromthefringesofan<-scienceac<vismintomainstreamawarenessthroughcrisispregnancycentersandlawsmanda<ngdoctorsmisleadpa<entsbyclaimingtheycan“reverse”amedicalabor<on.LikeCPCwebsites,suchlaws“essen<allyencouragewomentopar<cipateinanunmonitoredresearchexperiment,”accordingtoananalysisintheNewEnglandJournalofMedicine.

Duringamedicalabor<on,apa<enttakestwodrugs—firstmifepristone,thenmisoprostol.Studiesshowitisasafeandeffectivemethodwithnoreportsoflong-termrisks.

Therenegadeprac<ceof“abor<onpillreversal”isbasedonatheorydevelopedbyanan<-choiceac<vistphysicianwhoconductedexperimentsonsevenpregnantwomeninastudynotsupervisedbyanins<tu<onalreviewboardorethicalreviewcommiUee.Theprac<ceinvolvesadministeringhighdosesofprogesteronetopregnantpeoplewhohavetakenmifepristone,thefirstoftwodrugsusedforamedicalabor<on,anddiscouragingconsump<onoftheseconddrug,misoprostol.

TheFDAhasnotapprovedofdispensingmifepristonewithoutmisoprostol,orthisuseofprogesterone.Thehealtheffectsonthepa<entandembryoareunknown.

“An<-abor<onac<vistsareopenlypromo<ngmedicalexperimenta<onwithunknownhealtheffectsonpregnantPennsylvanians,”saysSusanJ.Frietsche,directoroftheWesternPennsylvaniaofficeoftheWomen’sLawProject.“It’sunethical,dangerous,andechoesthedarkestdaysofAmericanhistorywhenbrownandBlackbodiesweregrotesquelyexploitedformedicalexperimenta<on.DoesthestateevenknowifRealAlterna<ves,theumbrellaorganiza<onofCPCsthathassofarreceivedmorethan$100millionintaxpayermoney,ispar<cipa<nginorpromo<ngthisabusiveprac<ce?”FortypercentofCPCsinPennsylvaniapromote“abor<onpillreversal”.

Asystema<creviewconductedinthewakeoftheseven-personexperimentfoundnoevidencethatpregnancycon<nua<onwasmorelikelyacertreatmentwithprogesteroneascomparedwithexpectantmanagementamongwomenwhohadtakenmifepristone.

“Crisispregnancycenterstargetvulnerablepeopleexperiencingunplannedpregnancies.ManypeoplewhowindupataCPCwouldnotnecessarilyknowtheywerebeingmisledabouttheirreproduc<vechoices,”saysAmalBass,WLPdirectorofpolicyandadvocacy.“Beyondtheobviousdangerofexperimentallydispensingpowerfulmedicinetopregnantpeople,Iworryaboutthepersonwhomightstartamedicalabor<oneveniftheyaren’tsureit’stherightdecisionforthembecausetheyweremisledtobelievetheycanjustchangetheirmind.Thisunderminesinformedconsentinapar<cularlycruelway.”

Thean<-abor<onmovement’snewemphasisonpromo<ngabor<onpillreversalcoincideswiththecrisispregnancycentermovement’sincreasedeffortstotargetBlackandbrownclients.

“Wearejustbeginningtoreckonwithourcountry’slong,shamefulhistoryofracistandsexistmedicalabuse,”saysWLPaUorneyChris<neCastro,“Andnowwe’reseeingacoordinatedefforttopromoteanewformofracistandsexistexperimenta<ononpregnantpeople.”

Lastyear,theAmericanMedicalAssocia<onfiledafederallawsuitchallengingthecons<tu<onalityofaNorthDakotabillthataUemptedtoforcedoctorstomisleadpa<entsbytellingthemaboutabor<onpillreversal.TheAMAsaidsuchlaws“forc[ed]physicians…toactasmouthpiecesforpoli<callymo<vatedmessagesthataremisleadingandcouldleadtopa<entharm.”InSeptember,ajudgeblockedthelaw,sta<ngitwas"devoidofscien<ficsupport,misleading,anduntrue."

ThisMarch,awatchdoggroupcalledCampaignforAccountabilityaskedtheFDAtoseizewebsitespromo<ngthisprac<ce.

TheSouthwestWomen’sLawCenteranditspartnersinTheAlliance,acollabora<onofregionallawcentersworkingtoensureequitableaccesstoevidence-basedreproduc<vehealthcare,conductedthisinves<ga<onintocrisispregnancycenterspromo<ng"abor<onreversal"aspartofalargerproject.TheAlliancelawcenters–GenderJus<ce,LegalVoice,SouthwestWomen’sLawCenter,andWomen’sLawProject–areworkingwithCaliforniaWomen’sLawCenterandreproduc<veepidemiologistDr.LauraDodgetoconductasystema<creviewofcrisispregnancycentersopera<onsinAlaska,California,Idaho,Minnesota,Montana,NewMexico,Oregon,Pennsylvania,andWashingtonState.

Oftheninestatesincludedinthisinves<ga<on,Washingtonstatehasthehighestrateofpromo<ng“abor<onpillreversal”at49percent.

Ifyouneedmoreinforma.onortorequestaninterviewwithana5orney,pleasecontacteitherTerreleneMassey,tmassey@swwomenslaw.orgorWendyLeeBasgall,wbasgall@swwomenslaw.org.