We have been provided with pictures that show how students are being targeted by anti-abortion organisation Life Network promoting unlicenced and potentially dangerous "abortion pill reversal" treatment.
We appeal to students to not engage with anyone claiming to offer "abortion pill reversal." This is an unlicenced treatment which some falsely claim could reverse the effects of the first abortion pill Mifepristone, without any robust scientific evidence to back their claim. It involves giving women high dose hormones (progesterone) which can cause serious and potentially fatal side effects.
Authoritative medical organisations say that they "are concerned that there are anti-abortion groups recommending progesterone and as a medical organisation we wish to make it clear that this approach isn’t supported by clinical evidence.
“Individuals who prescribe these untested treatments act outside regulated care systems and it’s likely they won’t offer impartial advice to women about all of their options. This is distressing and confusing for the women involved at a time they may be especially vulnerable.
The General Medical Council (GMC) states that when prescribing a drug for a purpose that it isn’t licensed for then a doctor must be satisfied that there’s sufficient evidence or experience of using the medicine to demonstrate its safety and efficacy. We don’t believe this to be the case when using progesterone in this way."
We appeal to educational institutions to take action against anyone promoting "abortion pill reversal" on campus, to keep students safe from harm resulting from such unlicenced and unconventional treatments.