Louisiana passes bipartisan law: women must be informed of abortion-reversal pill

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Louisiana has passed a bipartisan law requiring medical abortion providers to inform women that there is an abortion reversal pill if they change their mind about ending the pregnancy at an early enough stage, the Christian Post reports. Passed by the Republican-controlled legislature, and signed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards on Friday, Act 483 will go into effect on August 1.

Act 483 applies to medical abortions, in which women are given the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol in the form of two separate pills. Mifepristone is taken first to block the pregnancy hormone progesterone; Misoprostol is taken new to induce contractions and a miscarriage. However, the abortion can be reversed if the woman takes a pill containing a higher dose of progesterone to counteract the mifepristone and keep the fetus in place.

Under Act 483, women seeking a medical abortion must be given the following information about the reversal pill: “Research has indicated that the first pill provided, identified as mifepristone, is not always effective in ending a pregnancy. If after taking the first pill you regret your decision, please consult a physician or healthcare provider immediately to determine if there are options available to assist you in continuing your pregnancy.”

This disclosure statement can be stapled to the package of misoprostol, attached to the prescription for the misoprostol, or attached to the discharge instructions for the patient “if the prescription for misoprostol is sent directly to a pharmacy,” the Christian Post reports.

Posting about the new law on his official Twitter account, Gov. Edwards wrote: “We did this through bipartisan cooperation and compromise. As we have proven time and time again, the people of Louisiana are best served when all of us put aside our differences and focus on projects, programs, and progress for all.”

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