Updated 03.11.2023: We thank the Faculty for Social Wellbeing for publishing a statement from us with advice from reputable medical organisations against abortion pill reversal treatment. We hope there will be no further instances of this unlicenced and potentially unsafe treatment being advertised in any educational institution.
A few days ago we were provided with a picture of a publication obtained on the University of Malta campus showing an advertisment for abortion reversal therapy. We have investigated the source of the picture and we can reveal that it is from the publication Unity 7 - Department of Child & Family Studies by the University of Malta, Faculty for Social Wellbeing.
Link to the publication on the University of Malta website: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/114024
PDF of the page linked above:
PDF of the publication:
The advertisment for LifeNetwork which claims to offer abortion pill reversal is found on the last page.
Abortion reversal treatment, which involves giving unlicenced and inadequately tested doses of the hormone progesterone to women who have taken the first abortion pill Mifepristone, has been denounced by reputable international medical organisations. It can also have serious side effects on women.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH), and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) say there is ‘no reputable evidence’ in the use of progesterone to ‘reverse’ an abortion.
They add, "No reputable medical body recommends progesterone treatment for this indication. We are concerned about this off-license provision of progesterone, especially when supplied in non-standard clinical settings."
In the US, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says that "claims regarding abortion “reversal” treatment are not based on science and do not meet clinical standards." It also adds, "a 2020 study intending to evaluate medication abortion reversal in a controlled, IRB-approved setting was ended early due to safety concerns among the participants." In this study, "twelve participants had enrolled between February to July 2019 before the researchers halted the study after three patients (ie: a quarter) required ambulance transport to the hospital for severe hemorrhage." This indicates that this treatment could be a serious hazard to the health of women.
More recently, the state of California has sued Heartbeat International - an affiliate of LifeNetwork - for claiming to offer abortion reversal treatment. "Those who are struggling with the complex decision to get an abortion deserve support and trustworthy guidance - not lies and misinformation," California's attorney general said in a statement.
We consider it inappropriate that the highest educational institution in Malta would carry an advertisment for this unlicenced, deceptive, and potentially hazardous treatment. This has nothing to do with giving space to differing views on abortion. This is a case of advertising a treatment that has been denounced by the highest international authorities in obstetrics and gynaecology, and could have real negative effects on vulnerable students at the University of Malta.