Colorado moves closer to prohibiting "abortion reversal" procedure following medical board ruling
Earlier this year, Colorado lawmakers became the first in the nation to pass a law banning abortion reversal treatment. This practice seeks to preserve a pregnancy after a patient has taken the abortion pill Mifepristone.
The latest development involves the Colorado Medical Board, which states that it does not consider this treatment to be a standard medical practice.
The abortion pill reversal treatment is highly controversial. Catherine Wheeler, an OBGYN physician affiliated with the American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs, claims that this treatment can save a pregnancy after the first abortion pill is taken. If a patient changes their mind, progesterone is used to counteract the medication's effects before the second dose is taken.
"This is an application aimed at saving babies' lives for women who choose to do so. There is evidence of its effectiveness," said Catherine Wheeler, also part of Pro-Life Colorado.
However, the Colorado Medical Board disagrees, stating that it is not a standard medical practice.
A draft released in July suggested that the board should handle complaints about abortion reversal treatment on a case-by-case basis. But the new rule classifies the use of progesterone to stop medication-based abortion as "unprofessional conduct."
Tash Berwick, political director at New Era Colorado, supports this decision. She says, "there is no credible scientific evidence that supports the ability to reverse an abortion. Offering this treatment at centers often referred to as crisis pregnancy centers, or as we call them, anti-abortion counseling, is misleading."
Senate Bill 190, which passed in April, also labels the treatment as unprofessional conduct for those who provide it. Those who offer it could face consequences new ruling now says otherwise. However, the bill allows the practice to be recategorized as "professional" only if all three boards - medical, pharmacy, and nursing - find it to be a legitimate medical practice.
A Catholic healthcare clinic, Bella Health and Wellness sued to stop the ban in April. The Attorney General ruled that the ban could not be enforced until all three boards pass their rules. The nursing board will meet on Sept. 20, and the pharmacy board on Sept. 21. It has until Oct. 1.
