Iowa House lawmakers advanced a bill in a subcommittee that would require medication abortion providers to give information about abortion reversal options.
The bill requires abortion providers tell patients the risks that come with the procedure, that medication abortion isn’t always effective and it might be possible to reverse the procedure.
It also requires all clinics providing abortions to post a sign "clearly visible to patients" that reads: "Recent developing research has indicated that a medication abortion utilizing an abortion-inducing drug is not always effective in ending a pregnancy. It may be possible to avoid, cease, or even to reverse the intended effects of a medication abortion that utilizes an abortion-inducing drug. Please consult with a health care professional immediately."
Supporters of the bill told lawmakers it gives those seeking an abortion additional information.
"Women deserve to know the complications, risks and threats of chemical abortion. Women need to be told that they may not get rid of the baby," said Kristi Judkins, the executive director of Iowa Right to Life.
Opponents said the information providers are required to provide is misleading and inaccurate.
"These requirements are medically unnecessary. They provide no benefit to patients and are politically motivated to restrict access to abortion," said Mazie Stilwell, a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of mifepristone and misoprostol to terminate a pregnancy up to 10 weeks of gestation.
How does reversing a medication abortion work?
Medication abortions accounted for 63% of all clinician-provided abortions in states without total bans in 2023, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute which supports abortion rights.
Patients are instructed to first consume mifepristone. It works to end the pregnancy by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is needed for the embryo or fetus to grow. Misoprostol then causes the uterus to contract to complete the end of the pregnancy.
Some abortion reversal procedures call for giving people who have taken mifepristone doses of progesterone to reverse the effects of the pill, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG.
In a policy statement, ACOG, which is registered in opposition to the bill, calls abortion reversal procedures "unproven and unethical" and recommends providers do not prescribe progesterone to stop an abortion due to a lack of evidence that doing so is safe and effective.
Rep. Heather Matson, D-Ankeny, voted not to advance the bill saying studies have long shown mifepristone is overall safe to end a pregnancy while the use of progesterone to reverse its effects has not been studied enough.
"I think these scare tactics and this fearmongering will only hurt patients."Rep. Heather Matson
"I think these scare tactics and this fearmongering will only hurt patients," she said.
Rep. Devon Wood, R-New Market, supported the bill, saying the information would make clear that research into abortion reversal is ongoing.
"We're not telling someone that all research has been concluded," she said. "It's just simply saying that if you are wanting to take a look at this, this is what the developing research is indicating could be an option for you."
After passing out of a subcommittee, the bill is moving to the Iowa House Health and Human Services Committee.
