In a complaint filed on Tuesday, two pro-life organizations and pregnancy clinics said that Democratic Attorney General Letitia James unlawfully sought to restrict speech regarding the abortion reversal drug.
In May, James took legal action against eleven pregnancy centers, claiming that they were providing "misleading" information to expectant mothers regarding progesterone, a substance that can counteract the negative effects of chemical abortions, as The Daily Caller reported.
The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, Gianna's House, and Options Care Center responded by suing each other in retaliation.
The groups claimed that James was using her position to "censor" pro-lifers' speech by preventing them from talking to women about the abortion reversal pill, a move they deemed "unconstitutional."
“Having cited some of these studies in her lawsuit against other pro-life pregnancy centers in state court, the Attorney General knows full well that the contested statements about progesterone treatment are supported by research but has targeted centers that tell women about this option because of the centers’ pro-life viewpoint and the content of their speech,” the lawsuit reads.
James stated that pro-life centers were engaging in “deceptive acts and practices” and that “abortions cannot be reversed,” according to a press release.
Later in the complaint, she asserted that the clinics delete the information about progesterone safely reversing abortion drugs, claiming that there was no "scientific proof" to support this claim.
The drug progesterone has a success record of 64-68% according to pro-life campaigners, and it has been used for decades to prevent miscarriages.
A 2018 study indicated that 48% of women who "underwent progesterone treatment within 72 hours after taking mifepristone" were able to deliver live births; the plaintiffs' complaint asserts that this proves the procedure is safe and successful, in contrast to James' assertions.
“Many women regret their abortions, and some seek to stop the effects of chemical abortion drugs before taking the second drug in the abortion drug process," said Gabriella McIntyre, legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing the plaintiffs, said in a press release.
"Taking supplemental progesterone at that time can often save their baby’s life.”
She went on to assert that the New York attorney general is "doing everything she can to deny women the freedom to make that choice," even using terminology consistent with what abortion advocates use for themselves.
"Women should have the option to reconsider going through with an abortion, and the pro-life pregnancy centers we represent in this case truthfully inform them about that choice.
"We are urging the court to affirm the pregnancy centers’ freedom to tell interested women about this lawful, life-saving treatment.”
