My name is Erik Baptist and I serve at Alliance Defending Freedom as senior counsel and the director of the Center for Life.
As Christians, we’ve been called to be witnesses to the world around us of the love and saving grace of Jesus Christ. And one of the primary ways I believe we can show this love to others around us today is by offering hope and healing to those who are hurting—those caught in painful situations.
Many women facing unexpected pregnancies feel like abortion—which will only generate more hurt—is their only viable option.
But you and I can come alongside them and show them that there’s joy and redemption in choosing life.
Hands down, the most prevalent way my team sees women harmed by abortion today is through chemical abortion drugs.
Most abortions in the country today are chemical abortions. And, shockingly, women commonly obtain abortion drugs by mail order.
That’s right. Often, women and girls can take these drugs from their homes without ever meeting with a doctor. The drugs expose them to an array of complications, pain, and loss—all without the ongoing care of a doctor.
Abortion drugs offer not just death of the unborn baby but also regret and physical and emotional pain. That’s why it’s so important that we spread the truth about the dangers of abortion drugs—women and their babies deserve better.
Through the generosity of our Ministry Friends, we’re able to advocate for life-saving laws and represent pregnancy centers as they stand for their right to tell women about all their options—including abortion pill reversal. When you give a gift today, you help stand against abortion drugs and you also help women choose options that are better for them and their babies.
Chemical abortion takes place in two steps; first, a woman takes mifepristone, which cuts off her natural supply of the hormone progesterone to her baby. Then, to induce labor, she takes misoprostol.
It bears repeating: these drugs are often taken by women while alone without the ongoing care of a doctor.
According to the FDA’s own label, roughly one in 25 women who use abortion drugs ends up in the emergency room. Women and girls across the country have suffered serious, even life-threatening, complications such as severe bleeding, infections, or sepsis. Just last year, a young woman named Amber Thurman died from septic infection after taking these drugs.
But these dangers aren’t stopping abortion advocates from increasingly doling out these drugs. In 2023, there were approximately 642,700 chemical abortions, making up 63% of all abortions, according to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute.
Can you imagine the emotions of isolation, panic, and loss a woman must feel when she takes abortion drugs while alone at home?
Kelly Lester, a mom and advocate for life who regrets her past abortions, has spoken about her horrific experience with taking abortion drugs from her apartment bathroom.
“It was one of the most horrific experiences of my life. I was told by the abortion clinic that it wasn’t a big deal, that it was easy and private,” she remembers. “The pain lasted for two days and I felt like I was in full-blown labor. I was alone, in one of my bathrooms in my apartment.”
Eventually, Kelly had to break her lease and move out of her apartment because she couldn’t continue facing the memory of what happened there.
The abortion industry claims to represent women and advocate chiefly for their health and safety—and yet they’re working to get abortion drugs in the hands of women at any cost, even if that means removing commonsense safeguards.
That’s why we’re representing several clients as they stand up for the freedom of pro-life organizations and medical professionals to share with women the hope of abortion pill reversal (APR).
If a woman regrets her decision after taking mifepristone, there’s still a chance for her to try and save her baby. Through APR, a woman will be prescribed supplemental progesterone to counteract the effects of the first abortion drug, which blocks progesterone.
But some states want to silence pro-life voices and keep women from choosing APR. Through the generosity of people like you, we’re representing pro-life organizations and medical practitioners in Colorado, California, New York, New Jersey, and Washington.
We want women to know that there is hope even after taking the first abortion drug—hope that leads to life and joy.
Help stand for life today with a gift. Your generosity can help fuel our stand against abortion drugs and can also stand for the freedom of pregnancy centers around the country to speak about the potential life-saving option of abortion pill reversal.
For life,
Erik Baptist
Senior Counsel, Director of the Center for Life
Alliance Defending Freedom