PETITION: Abortion reversal – allow women real choice!

A Catholic doctor, cardiologist Dermot Kearney, is currently under investigation by the General Medical Council for administering treatment to desperate pregnant women who changed their minds after taking a pill to abort their unborn babies.

Scores of women in the UK have become regretful after taking the first of two abortion pills and turned to the internet for help, looking up terms such as ‘abortion pill reversal’ and after speaking to trained nurses, have then been put in touch with UK medics such as Dr Kearney who are prepared to prescribe a course of progesterone in an attempt to save the baby.

While progesterone has not been developed with the express intention of reversing an attempted chemical abortion, some doctors believe that if taken within 24 hours of the first pill, it doubles the chances of the unborn baby surviving from 25% to 50%.

Between June 2020 and April 2021 around 150 women approached pro-life doctors for help after they regretted taking the first dose of the abortion pill. Dr Kearney reports that around 90 women contacted him and of these 90 women, 70 went on to take the suggested progesterone and of these 70 women, 12 went on to deliver healthy babies and another 25 are in various stages of gestation, giving a success rate of 50%.

Progesterone is not always going to be effective, however, women who change their minds after commencing the chemical abortion process ought to be allowed the chance to change their minds.

Since the introduction of abortion pills by post many women are reporting feeling rushed into an abortion without adequate care or consultation. It is not surprising that women are experiencing regret when they receive abortion pills literally within days of first contacting an abortion provider without ever speaking to a doctor. An estimated 495 women per month require emergency treatment after taking the abortion pill at home.

Dr Kearney is now temporarily banned by the General Medical Council (GMC) from offering this treatment to women, pending a full investigation and tribunal later in the year. (Dr Kearney is currently being supported legally by Christian Concern).

The use of progesterone is not illegal. While it is true that it was not originally licenced for the purpose of abortion reversal, neither it is uncommon for other drugs to be used for purposes for which they were not licensed. Misoprostol, the second pill taken in a chemical abortion is not authorised for use as a chemical abortifacient either.

Before commencing treatment for women who have changed their minds mid-way through a chemical abortion, Dr Kearney sought advice from NHS England, the Royal College of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians and the GMC who did not back the treatment but crucially did not say that it would be breaking any rules.

The case against Dr Kearney has been brought following pressure from Jonathon Lord, the head of the abortion provider MSI (formerly Marie Stopes International). One of the women whom Dr Kearney helped said that she had to block Mr Lord’s number as he kept contacting her directly on her mobile phone and putting pressure on her to report Dr Kearney who had done his utmost to help, being sympathetic and non-judgemental

It is clearly not in the interests of abortion providers to allow women to change their minds midway through the procedure, but there is no evidence to suggest that progesterone treatment to reverse a chemical abortion can prove harmful for mother or their unborn children.

Abortion providers should not be allowed to dictate important medical policies or remove women’s choices. Women must be allowed to change their minds and access appropriate treatment in order to attempt to reverse the effects of a chemical abortion

Sign the petition asking for the GMC to drop the charges against Dr Kearney and for NHS England to consider trialling or allowing this treatment.