(Washington Examiner) Every day, some women face the toughest decision of their lives: to abort or continue an unexpected pregnancy. In that difficult time, many seek out information, support, and resources in order to make a choice that won’t end in regret.
Last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James made clear that she opposes women’s rights to weigh all pregnancy options. She began a political witch hunt against nonprofit organizations that support women and families in New York.
Instead of applauding organizations that offer support, including free medical services and practical assistance to women and families in these desperate situations, James now seeks to haul them into court. Despite offering services and materials valued at nearly $3.6 million each year at no cost to those they serve, these organizations find themselves forced to fight for the women of New York so they might continue to have options other than abortion. James is joined in her campaign by her political allies, Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry, in New York and nationally.
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New York has among the most liberal abortion laws in our country, guaranteeing the unqualified right to abortion up to 24 weeks post-fertilization, six months into pregnancy. The state funds an abortion promotional website but does little to support any other reproductive healthcare choices.
Ironically, New York also prohibits interference with healthcare services. Why would women who started an abortion but wish to reverse it be excluded from this protection? Shouldn’t James be celebrating the reproductive choices of these women as well?
For many facing a pregnancy choice, the pressures feel too heavy to carry alone, the coercion can be deafening, and support may feel absent. At the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, we hear from women every day who express that they never meant to harm their children when starting an abortion. They were simply trying to solve a problem. They felt trapped, desperate, and alone, and though they did not truly want to end their pregnancies, they could not see another way.
The vast majority of them are facing pressures from those who have decided what choice these women will make without giving them a voice in the process. Abortion is not something many of these women ever thought they would need. Yet in a moment of overwhelming stress and anxiety, they start the abortion process.
Some women even consume the medication unknowingly as they were poisoned by a friend or family member imposing a pregnancy decision. With the wide availability of abortion pills now, these drugs can be obtained by anyone with a credit card. Food, drinks, and other medications are then tainted, and the women have an imminent pregnancy loss without consenting to the abortion process.
Abortions take place in apartments, dorm rooms, or parents’ houses. Once the abortion is started, the woman is often alone, not only managing her abortion but also managing her symptoms of severe pain and heavy bleeding. She is forced to face the harsh process without the emotional support most long for and without medical oversight.
Overwhelmingly, we hear that women facing unexpected pregnancies are desperate for honest answers, information and support, medical services, parenting support, and hope. New York’s pregnancy help organizations in the APR Network provide these very services. The services they offer empower women to save the lives of their wanted babies.
Since the advent of the abortion pill, women have sought ways to reverse the effects of mifepristone and rescue their pregnancies. It’s unacceptable to strip women of this choice. Instead of providing life-affirming support, New York seeks to compel women to continue unwanted abortions.
Contrary to the abortion industry’s narrative, there are options after taking the first pill. Supplemental progesterone, a safe treatment for women at risk of miscarriage, has also been used for those who regret taking the abortion pill. Thousands of children have been born following successful abortion pill reversal treatments, eliciting immense gratitude from their mothers.
Ironically, while Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) has been clear that women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies, James’s stance implies that those opting for abortion forfeit their autonomy.
The APR Network hotline and website are vital resources for women seeking to reverse mifepristone’s effects and save their children. These women come from diverse backgrounds but share anxiety and fear. Despite challenging circumstances, nearly 70% of hotline callers who start treatment successfully reverse the effects of mifepristone.
James must not undermine the autonomy of New York women. They deserve support and resources for informed pregnancy decisions, free from external pressures promoting abortion as the sole option. The woman’s right to continue her pregnancy is under assault in New York, and James is leading the charge.
Tweet This: A woman’s right to continue her pregnancy is under assault in New York, and Letitia James is leading the charge.
Editor's note: This article was published by the Washington Examiner and is reprinted with permission. Heartbeat International manages the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) and Pregnancy Help News.
