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Abortion Pill "Reversal": Where's the Evidence?

Since 2015, legislators in at least twenty states have introduced bills that would require clinicians to inform patients during pre-abortion counseling that the abortion pill can be “reversed” if the patient were to change their mind after taking it. This is despite the fact that there is no rigorous evidence documenting the safety and effectiveness of “reversal” treatment. Rigorous evidence demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of abortion “reversal” is essential before clinicians in any state should be required to counsel their patients about the treatment.

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Since 2015, legislators in at least twenty states have introduced bills that would require clinicians to inform patients during pre-abortion counseling that the abortion pill can be “reversed” if the patient were to change their mind after taking it. This is despite the fact that there is no rigorous evidence documenting the safety and effectiveness of “reversal” treatment. So-called abortion “reversal” bills have been passed into law and implemented in six states as of 2020: Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Utah.