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Calif. again approves abortion pill reversal class


SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP) — The California Board of Registered Nursing has given a green light — for the third time — to a class teaching nurses how to reverse drug-induced abortions.

The board’s decision, coming just months after it decided to cut the class, surprised leaders of Heartbeat International, the Ohio-based nonprofit organization that offers the continuing education credit. See related story.

“We thought it would be more paperwork involved and more of a protracted process,” Heartbeat spokesman Jay Hobbs said. “In the end, really what we saw was them … conceding that this is a science-based approach to medicine, that there’s just no good grounds to stop nurses from learning about that.”

The abortion pill reversal process, developed by Dr. Matthew Harrison and Dr. George Delgado, uses injections of progesterone to counteract the effect of mifepristone, the first of a drug duo used in chemical abortions. Mifepristone blocks the pregnancy-sustaining hormone progesterone, ending the baby’s life. The second drug, misoprostol, induces contractions that expel the baby.

After taking the first drug, more than 400 women have called the Abortion Pill Reversal hotline and successfully saved their babies’ lives, according to Heartbeat.

The pro-life organization offers 33 other continuing education credits for nurses and received approval from California officials in 2012 for the course on abortion pill reversal. Bad press in 2016 from a pro-abortion website initiated a 17-month audit of Heartbeat International that ended with the state reiterating its confirmation of the class in July. But in September, California reversed its decision, demanding Heartbeat stop offering the course.

In its December letter to Heartbeat announcing the latest decision, the board didn’t cite a reason for the about-face but simply said it “has restored your organization’s ability to offer continuing education courses in abortion pill reversal to registered nurses in California.”

Hobbs called the decision great news for moms who change their minds about having an abortion soon after taking the first abortion pill.

“There are actual babies that are toddling around or [were] being held by moms this Christmas because of that process,” he said. “We really are just thankful to have more of a platform to save lives.”