Skip to content

The rise of chemical abortion and telemedicine

The rise of chemical abortion and telemedicine presents unique threats to innocent human life. I want to educate our supporters about these emerging threats, and show what we’re doing to fight back.

Chemical abortion is a process whereby a woman takes 2 medications over the course of 2-3 days to induce an artificial miscarriage up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy. The first medication is called mifepristone, or RU-486. This drug alters the lining of the uterine wall so that the newly-conceived child cannot adhere to it. The second drug is called misoprostol. This drug triggers a miscarriage, which can involve severe pain, bleeding, and has numerous health risks associated with it.

Because the chemical abortion process does not require a doctor to give the medication or perform a surgery, Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers are turning to it as their chief method of performing abortions. In some states, women are able to access Planned Parenthood resources online, text-chat with nurse practitioners on their phones, and have chemical abortion medication mailed to their house. In California, our state legislature has introduced legislation (SB 320) to have chemical abortion and telemedicine services available at the student health centers of all CSU and UC campuses.

Pro-lifers are stepping up to combat these new threats. Pregnancy resource clinics like the Obria Group (with whom Right to Life is partnering to establish a new prenatal health clinic in Fresno) have developed their own telemedicine services. These services ensure that young women looking for abortion options can instead find genuine, authentic healthcare from a loving, life-affirming perspective.

In addition, a number of pro-life doctors and pregnancy resource clinics offer the “abortion pill reversal” procedure, a round of hormonal injections that can offset the effects of RU-486 within 48 hours. Obria clinics provide this essential procedure, as do a number of pro-life doctors throughout the country.

Right to Life’s board member, Dr. Amie Holmes, is an excellent local resource for this procedure.  If you or someone you love has taken the initial RU-486 drug to begin the process of chemical abortion, immediately contact her office at 559-324-3833.