What is the Abortion Pill Reversal and why is it so important to Ireland?

She’s confused: unsure whether she wants to go through with it. Maybe she’s being pressured by the father, or maybe it’s her family. Maybe she is young, financially unstable, or maybe she’s alone. “It’s for the better” they keep saying, and in her panic she begins to think it might be true. She pushes herself to take the first pill – get it over and done with. After all, it’s just a fetus right? A blob of cells? Minutes after taking the first pill, she realises, “this is a mistake. I can’t kill my baby”.

A medical abortion involves taking two pills - but increasing numbers of women immediately regret their action after taking the first pill. Now they have a change to undo the effect of that first abortion tablet - and save their baby. 

The abortion pill, sometimes known as the chemical procedure, actually involves taking two separate medications. The first pill is to inhibit the effects of progesterone in the pregnancy, as that will subsequently lead to the starvation and death of the child. The second, taken a few days later, induces a labour so that the mother will birth the child that has sadly passed away.

Yet the time frame between taking the first and second pill, provides women with the chance to reverse the consequences of the first pill.

The abortion reversal pill is a prescription of progesterone to counteract the effects of the first pill up to 72 hours after consumption. This has been supported by previous research, in which progesterone has been prescribed to women to help prevent miscarriages. Experts have shown evidence of not only the success of the abortion reversal pill, but also the increased demand for its education and use.

Last week, we heard of a woman in Ireland who had taken the abortion reversal pill, which saved the life of her unborn child. Additionally, statistics in the US show that the abortion reversal pill has saved more than 1000 babies.

It is not unusual to find a women changing her mind seconds after she begins the abortion procedure, thus it is important and necessary for the culture of life in Ireland to not only provide pregnancy and post-abortive support to women, but also the chance to reverse these consequences if and when this is possible; especially now, as abortion is being carried out in our country.

The abortion reversal pill offers women a second chance; one that they are not often given, but one that many long for.