It is now illegal in the state of West Virginia to administer an abortion pill to a woman without first informing her of how she can reverse it if she changes her mind.
That’s according to a new law passed by the state legislature and now signed by Republican Gov. Jim Justice, which states that any woman who is given a chemical abortion via medication must also be told about “abortion pill reversal,” a method she can use to help stop the abortion if she changes her mind after taking the first pill in the two-part abortion process.
The abortion pill method, usually given to a woman who wants to abort her baby in the first trimester, is a two-step procedure that first involves a woman taking a medication called mifepristone, which blocks the natural hormone progesterone that keeps a pregnancy afloat during the first and part of the second trimesters. Blocking it effectively starves the baby and, if it’s successful, ultimately kills them.
The second pill, called misoprostol, is usually taken at home within days of taking the first pill and forces a painful and dangerous miscarriage.
But unbeknownst to many women who start the process, there is a way to reverse the effects of the first pill if it’s caught early enough. The “abortion pill reversal” method is a progesterone supplement that can reverse the effects of mifepristone and keep the baby alive, should the mother change her mind after taking the first drug. However, many abortion clinics don’t inform women of this option beforehand, leaving those women who regret starting the process without any known option to go back or save their child.
But thanks to West Virginia's "Second Chance At Life" Act, women who are offered a chemical abortion will now be given this potentially life-saving information. The law also mandates that women be provided contact information for the Abortion Pill Reversal Hotline, which will also posted on the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services website.