Federal court blocks Colorado ban on abortion pill reversal treatments

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A federal court has temporarily blocked a controversial Colorado law which bans abortion pill reversal treatments, Colorado Public Radio (CPR) reports.

Abortion pill reversal treatments involve giving a patient progesterone to cancel out the effects of the mifepristone, the first of two drugs administered in first-trimester medical abortions. The Colorado law provides that any healthcare facility which “provides, prescribes, administers, or attempts medication abortion reversal” would be subject to disciplinary measures.

Faith-based clinics consider that the abortion pill reversal procedure must be made available to women who have second thoughts about ending their pregnancies but who have already taken mifepristone, CPR reports. The issue was brought to court by Bella Health and Wellness, an Englewood-based Catholic health care clinic, which argued it considers offering abortion pill reversals to be a religious obligation.

Granting a preliminary injunction, federal district court judge Daniel D. Domenico wrote in his ruling that Colorado’s law violates the First Amendment principles and that the state “generally cannot regulate an activity if that regulation burdens religious exercise” and “targets religious activity,” CPR reports.

Domenico added the state would have to show “a compelling interest of the highest order to maintain the law,” and that it had “not even attempted to do so” in this case.

The state of Colorado was given 30 days to appeal against the injunction, CPR said.

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