Colorado Faces a $6 Million Setback as Abortion Pill Reversal Ban is Blocked by Judge

The Colorado law, which banned healthcare professionals from offering abortion pill reversals to pregnant women, has turned out to be quite costly. The state will pay $6.1 million in legal fees and court costs following a federal judge’s permanent injunction against the enforcement of the 2023 law. The law had defined providing abortion-pill reversals as “unprofessional conduct” and labeled it a “deceptive trade practice.”

The settlement agreement requires Colorado to pay $5.4 million to lawyers for Bella Health and Wellness, a pro-life pregnancy center that challenged the law in 2023, and $700,000 to attorneys for Chelsea Mynyk, a licensed nurse practitioner who joined the lawsuit a year later.

Colorado was the first state to effectively prohibit abortion pill reversals, or APRs. These procedures aim to interrupt the two-pill abortion process by introducing progesterone within 24-72 hours after the first pill is taken. Despite opposition from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which does not recommend APRs, the Abortion Pill Rescue Network claims that more than 7,000 babies were born following these procedures.

Among other supporters of the method is Rebekah Ricketts, senior counsel at Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who states that during the case more than two dozen babies were born as a result of the APR method. “At least 18 moms who received abortion pill reversal care at Bella just celebrated Christmas with babies born during this case,” she said.

On the other hand, lawmakers in favor of abortion rights, such as New York Attorney General Letitia James, have taken action against pro-life pregnancy centers advertising APRs, accusing them of spreading ‘false and misleading’ information. However, in a recent court ruling, Ms. James’ office was prevented from taking legal action against two faith-based nonprofit clinics and a network of pro-life pregnancy centers promoting APRs pending the outcome of their lawsuit.