Kansas Senate Overrides Veto to Ensure Women are Informed about Abortion Pill Options

On Thursday, the Kansas State Senate voted 29-11 to override Governor Laura Kelly’s (D) veto of a bill that will require women seeking chemical abortion to be informed about the possibility of reversing the effects of the abortion pill. Pro-life advocates are applauding the legislation as an important step toward protecting unborn life and ensuring that women are fully aware of their options when considering abortion.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, the abortion pill reversal protocol is only effective if undertaken within 24 hours after a woman has ingested the first drug (mifepristone) in the abortion pill regimen; it is ineffective if the second drug (misoprostol) is ingested. The protocol involves the woman receiving a treatment of the pregnancy-sustaining hormone progesterone to reverse the effects of mifepristone, which blocks progesterone from being absorbed by the womb.

A study on women undergoing the abortion pill reversal protocol revealed that up to 68% successfully gave birth to healthy babies.

A woman named Cheyenne recently shared testimony of her experience of successfully reversing the effects of the abortion pill.

“When I was [at the abortion facility], I was instructed to take the first pill [mifepristone] before I left. After I had taken it, within just a couple of hours, I started experiencing a lot of grief. I knew that I had turned away from a life that was so vulnerable and that was relying on me, because I wanted my old life back. I still had the plan to go through with the second pill the next day, but that night everything turned around for me. I ended up having a dream in the middle of the night. In the dream, I was struck with … a surge of urgency that just went through me that was stronger than anything I’ve ever felt. And I knew immediately that it was this protective instinct because the baby was in jeopardy. I actually heard a voice say, ‘Reverse the pill.’”

Cheyenne went on to describe how she immediately woke up and searched on her phone for abortion pill reversal options. After finding a pregnancy resource center who verified that her nine-week-old baby was still alive through ultrasound, she started on a progesterone protocol 20 hours after ingesting the first abortion pill. She is now the mother of Ivy Rose, a healthy two-month-old girl.

Another woman named Shashana, who underwent the protocol nine weeks into her pregnancy, is now the mother of a healthy six-year-old. “Stick with your inner voice,” she advised women with unplanned pregnancies. “It may feel like there’s no time and no hope, but there are options. You aren’t alone in whatever struggle you are going through, and there is help available. This isn’t the end of your story.”

The two women are among the numerous stories of successful abortion pill reversals that have resulted in the birth of healthy babies.

Brittany Jones, director of Policy and Engagement at Kansas Family Voice, described the journey that she and other pro-life candidates have been on in pursuing the goal of ensuring that all expectant mothers know their options.

“In 2019, the last time we tried to update our informed consent laws to ensure that women knew about the potential to reverse the abortion pill, the bill failed because one pro-abortion Republican sided with Planned Parenthood,” she told The Washington Stand. “But five years later, after a grueling constitutional amendment fight that ultimately failed, the people of Kansas still sent a pro-life supermajority back to the Statehouse.”

“H.B. 2264, which includes the Women’s Right to Know Act and clarifies the abortion definition so that women are not mislead about what an abortion is, can now become law in Kansas,” Jones continued. “Sixty-seven percent of abortions in Kansas occur via pill. It was long past time that our informed consent laws were updated to inform women about this potential. It isn’t a restriction on abortion, but merely provides information. In Kansas, we are working to create a culture of life and these bills are the first step in re-claiming our state.”

Ingrid Duran, director of State Legislation for National Right to Life, further emphasized the proven track record of abortion pill reversal. “More than 4,000 babies are alive today because of the abortion pill reversal protocol,” she told TWS. “NRLC is grateful that the opportunity will be available to Kansas.”

Adam Schwend, Western Regional Director at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, also expressed gratitude for the Kansas bill.

“We thank Kansas legislators for enacting H.B. 2246 so that more women will be informed about the option of abortion pill reversal protocols which has saved thousands of lives,” he told TWS. “Governor Kelly’s veto of the Kansas APR bill reveals that the governor is not pro-choice, she is pro-abortion. If she were for a woman choosing, she would have signed the measure allowing women to know that their chemical abortion can be reversed.”