Attorneys for Heartbeat International and RealOptions Obria Medical Clinics are urging the California Superior Court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Rob Bonta targeting the promotion of “Abortion Pill Reversal.” This medical service, provided by many California pregnancy care centers, allows women to halt their ongoing chemical abortions and save their babies.
Thomas More Society attorneys submitted a legal challenge to Bonta’s lawsuit earlier this month, providing hundreds of pages of arguments and evidence, defending the pro-life community against attempts to impede their work of assisting women who wish to reverse their chemical abortions.
“California and its Attorney General Rob Bonta are illegally and unconstitutionally seeking to rip away ‘choice’ from women in dire need by attacking pregnancy help ministries,” commented Attorney Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation. “Abortion Pill Reversal provides real hope for women who want to stop their abortions and continue their pregnancies. Today’s massive legal filings mark the most ambitious and broad-based counterattack by the pro-life movement against the efforts of state officials, like Rob Bonta, who intend to prevent women from accessing this potentially life-saving treatment option.”
Bonta argues that proponents of Abortion Pill Reversal “falsely claim” that administering high doses of the hormone progesterone within 72 hours of taking the abortion drug mifepristone can effectively and safely reverse the effects of mifepristone. He asserts that “there is absolutely no scientific basis to support such a claim.” However, organizations like the Charlotte Lozier Institute provide extensive research detailing the safety and efficacy of this medical treatment..
Abortion Pill Reversal involves administering additional progesterone to negate the effects of mifepristone, the initial drug in the two-pill chemical abortion process. This legal defense represents a pivotal moment in the pro-life movement’s response to recent legal challenges by state authorities aimed at curtailing the activities of pregnancy centers dedicated to offering Abortion Pill Reversal services.
In their legal documents submitted on February 6, 2024, attorneys from the Thomas More Society presented the following arguments:
(1) The First Amendment guarantees the rights of Heartbeat and RealOptions to engage in advocacy and to inform women about the option of Abortion Pill Reversal.
(2) The dispute over the scientific validity of Abortion Pill Reversal, characterized by contrasting studies from Heartbeat and those cited by Bonta, is beyond the purview of the Superior Court to resolve as it essentially involves a “battle of scientific experts.”
(3) The legal protections afforded by California’s Reproductive Privacy Act and the state Constitution effectively shield Heartbeat and RealOptions from any attempts by Bonta to obstruct their efforts to support pregnant women seeking to halt and reverse their chemical abortions.
“The actions of the Thomas More Society embody the hope and resilience of a movement dedicated to protecting both mother and child, offering compassionate alternatives to abortion, and upholding a culture that values every human life,” said Greg Burt, Vice President of the California Family Council (CFC). “The narrative that Bonta and like-minded officials propagate, which seeks to deny women the choice to save their child’s life, is not only scientifically baseless but morally indefensible. It’s time for the courts to recognize the legitimacy of Abortion Pill Reversal and the necessity of allowing women the freedom to choose life.”
In the documentation submitted to the Superior Court, the Thomas More Society included persuasive evidence highlighting the safety and efficacy of using supplemental progesterone for pregnant women, especially in neutralizing the effects of mifepristone. Notably, progesterone has been utilized securely for many years by obstetrician-gynecologists to prevent possible miscarriages in expectant mothers.
CFC stands firmly with the RealOptions Obria Medical Clinics and Heartbeat International. Their pursuit of dismissing AG Bonta’s lawsuit is not merely a legal battle, but a moral stand to ensure that life-affirming options like Abortion Pill Reversal remain accessible, honoring the intrinsic value of both the mother and the unborn child.
