Doctors in Nigeria, South Africa and three
other continents have been exposed for
providing women with dangerous and
unproven treatments that claim to reverse
medical abortions.
According to an investigation carried out by
news website, open Democracy, doctors on
four continents – Africa, Latin America, North
America and Europe are prescribing to
women, dangerous and unproven treatments
that seek to reverse abortion.
Abortion pill reversal involves taking high
doses of progesterone, a hormone, following
the first of two pills used for a medical
abortion.
Health experts say it is unlikely to reverse a
medical abortion, and there are also
concerns about using progesterone for this
treatment.
In a release by openDemocracy obtained by
SaharaReporters, the outlet stated that
doctors, in at least a dozen countries
supported by United States Christian rights
activists, are guilty of the act, and were
exposed by the investigation.
The release partly reads, “Doctors offered
prescriptions by phone or email and
responded to questions about health risks by
claiming the treatment is very safe – or said
that women can just go to emergency rooms
if they have complications.
“In 12 countries, these reporters who posed
as pregnant women were connected to local
doctors who were willing to provide
prescriptions: Armenia, Canada, Italy,
Lithuania, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, South
Africa, Spain, the UK, Ukraine and Uruguay.
“In four countries (Belgium, Croatia, Germany
and Russia), US-based nurses sent the
reporters dosage instructions and told them
to try to get prescriptions at local hospitals,
clinics or pharmacies. In Nigeria and Uganda,
reporters were emailed dosage instructions
and referred to local anti-abortion groups for
help in accessing the medication.
“The undercover reporters contacted a 24-
hour hotline run by US Christian rights
activists that quickly connected them to local
doctors around the world; the so-called
‘abortion pill reversal’ treatment appears to
have spread globally under regulators’ radar
and openDemocracy’s findings have led to
calls for action from policymakers and
women’s health advocates internationally.
“Women’s health and rights activists have
called for urgent investigation by authorities
into these findings – which were described
as horrific – especially during the pandemic
when it’s critical for people to trust
healthcare providers,” the release reads.
OpenDemocracy stated further that the United
States hotline our reporters contacted is run
by the ultra-conservative Christian rights
group, Heartbeat International.
In 2020, openDemocracy revealed Heartbeat’s
links to anti-abortion projects around the
world that used misinformation in their
efforts to discourage women from ending
their pregnancies under any circumstances.