One of the most important services offered by COLFS is the Abortion Pill Reversal protocol. Developed by medical director Dr. George Delgado, APR and the Abortion Pill Rescue Network (now operated by Heartbeat International) have saved hundreds of lives by providing information and support to women who regret their chemical abortions. In the post-Roe era, abortion providers now rely primarily on chemical abortions to reach women all over the country. According to the Guttmacher Institute, medication (or “chemical”) abortions accounted for 63% of all clinician-provided abortions in 2023, up from 53% in 2020. In the face of the rapid growth in this method, which takes advantage of scared or abused mothers and leaves them to endure the trauma of abortion alone, it is more important than ever to inform women of the life-saving effects of APR.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta knows this. That is why, in 2023, he filed a lawsuit against Heartbeat International and RealOptions, a network of pro-life pregnancy clinics, to end their promotion of APR services. This lawsuit argues that pro-life organizations engage in fraudulent and misleading advertisement of APR by asserting that medication abortions can be safely and effectively reversed. Such claims are made despite confirmation by the Abortion Pill Rescue Network of thousands of babies having been delivered after the use of APR, and without the Attorney General’s office having received a single complaint related to APR services. The People of the State of California v. Heartbeat International and RealOptions went to trial on June 24, in what is being called “the pro-life trial of the century.” Attorneys from the Thomas More Society have spent over a month opposing accusations by the state that:
- Claims that APR is safe and effective are false advertising;
- The science behind APR is unproven;
- This is simply a consumer protection case, focused on protecting women from misinformation;
and more. For a complete rundown on the case timeline and arguments, visit the TMS Case Hub.
Anticipating a targeted lawsuit, COLFS has sued Attorney General Bonta to establish that the right to share information about APR is constitutionally protected. COLFS opened the suit on July 30, 2024, and is being represented by attorneys from the Thomas More Society. When the district court denied the request for a preliminary injunction, which would have blocked AG Bonta’s expansion of attacks on APR-related speech, COLFS’ attorneys appealed the decision. “In labeling constitutionally protected speech about Abortion Pill Reversal as ‘fraudulent’ and ‘deceptive,’ Bonta is stripping pregnant women of their constitutional right to choose to have their babies and shutting down the right of people to speak about this life-saving, effective, and science-backed option. While the lower court has refused to protect our pregnancy center client, we are optimistic the Ninth Circuit will reject Bonta’s campaign to censor pro-life speech,” said Peter Breen, Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation at the Thomas More Society.
The abortion industry clearly recognizes Abortion Pill Reversal as a threat to its message. If pro-choice advocates admit that many women regret their abortions, they must acknowledge that an abortion is not merely a routine surgery, or even always a free choice. Instead, it is a weighty decision often made in desperation, which can have lasting physical, psychological, and spiritual consequences. Denying women information on how to reverse their abortions proves that pro-choice advocates like AG Bonta are not interested in informing women of all their options. In reality, they promote a culture that rejects responsibility, telling women that they can and should remove their pregnancy rather than compassionately helping them through their time of crisis and into the joy of motherhood. COLFS is proud to offer this profoundly Catholic care, and will continue to fight for the right to educate and support women in their darkest hours.
