A federal court has struck down a Colorado law that barred medical professionals from providing Abortion Pill Reversal (APR), delivering a decisive victory for pro-life healthcare providers and the women they serve.
In a ruling Friday, Judge Daniel Domenico permanently blocked enforcement of the law, ensuring clinics like Bella Health and Wellness can continue offering life-affirming care to women who regret initiating a chemical abortion.
The law, enacted in April 2023, made it illegal for doctors and nurses to offer progesterone - the naturally occurring hormone essential to sustaining pregnancy - to women who had taken the first abortion pill and sought to reverse its effects. Although the law was paused under a temporary injunction last October, this new ruling makes that protection permanent for all pro-life providers involved in the case.
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Bella Health and Wellness, a Catholic medical clinic founded by mother-daughter nurse practitioners Dede Chism and Abby Sinnett, originally brought the case with representation from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Since receiving the court’s initial protection last year, Bella has successfully helped numerous women continue their pregnancies, resulting in at least 16 live births.
“Colorado tried to deprive pregnant women of the life-affirming care that is best for them and their babies,” Chism and Sinnett said in a statement. “We are overjoyed that the court has recognized our constitutional right to continue offering this support to the many women who come to our clinic seeking help.”
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys represented nurse practitioner Chelsea Mynyk, who runs Castle Rock Women’s Health, and intervened in the case after receiving notice from the Colorado State Board of Nursing that she was under investigation for providing APR. The court’s ruling now protects her as well.
“Many women regret their chemical abortions, and some choose to reverse the effects of the first abortion drug, which can save their baby’s life,” said ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot. “The court is right to rule that the state can’t force women to follow through with a chemical abortion when a safe alternative is available.”
Christa Brown, BSN, RN, and executive director of the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN), weighed in as well.
“This ruling affirms what we see every day: women deserve real choices,” Brown said.
“When a woman regrets starting a chemical abortion, she should never be forced to complete it against her will,” she said. “Abortion Pill Reversal gives her hope and a second chance to choose life - and this decision ensures that hope is not silenced. It’s a victory for life, for freedom, and most of all, for women.”
Tweet This: When a woman regrets starting a chemical abortion, she should never be forced to complete it against her will.
The court noted in its opinion that, “[W]hile the clinical efficacy of abortion pill reversal remains debatable, nobody has been injured by the treatment and a number of women have successfully given birth after receiving it. The Defendants have thus failed to show that they have a compelling interest in regulating this practice…”
The court also found that the law infringed upon the sincerely-held religious beliefs of the plaintiffs by effectively prohibiting them from using a particular treatment for pregnant women.
“This is a tremendous victory not just for one clinic in Colorado, but for every woman who wants to choose life after starting a chemical abortion,” said Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International. “Heartbeat applauds the courage of Bella Health and Wellness and the court’s recognition that women should never be denied care because of politics. Women deserve the right to continue their pregnancies—and our network stands ready to help them.”
Heartbeat International is the largest network of pregnancy help organizations in the U.S. and globally, and manages the APRN.
The state of Colorado has 30 days to appeal the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
Through APRN’s 24/7 helpline and national network of providers, thousands of women have received progesterone treatment, giving them hope and a second chance to choose life for their babies. This legal victory now provides stronger footing for those efforts in Colorado and beyond.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) and Pregnancy Help News. Heartbeat International is currently the subject of two lawsuits brought by state AGs concerning sharing information about Abortion Pill Reversal. If you or someone you know has started a chemical abortion and is seeking help, visit AbortionPillReversal.com or call 1-877-558-0333 immediately. Care is available 24/7.
