Welcome to Family Policy Matters, an engaging and informative weekly radio show and podcast produced by the North Carolina Family Policy Council. Hi, this is John Rustin, president of NC Family, and we're grateful to have you with us for this week's program.
It's our prayer that you will be informed, encouraged, and inspired by what you hear on Family Policy Matters and that you will feel better equipped to be a voice of persuasion for family values in your community, state, and nation. And now here is our host of Family Policy Matters, Tracy Devitt Griggs. Thanks for joining us this week for Family Policy Matters.
This summer marks one year since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed its nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision that had legalized abortion on demand nationwide. So this month, we're bringing you a series of interviews with North Carolinians who represent the many facets of the pro-life movement. Today, we're joined by Lisa Searle, who oversees the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, a program within Heartbeat International that serves women who regret beginning the process of chemical or medical abortions. We're grateful to have her with us today to discuss this very important facet of the pro-life movement. Lisa Searle, welcome to Family Policy Matters. Why don't you start off before we get into the mechanics of the abortion pill reversal. Tell us why you're involved in the pro-life movement.
Why is it so important to you that you're devoting much of your life to it? What about Heartbeat International? How did you end up there? And specifically, how did you end up working with the Abortion Pill Rescue Network? For those who might not know, Heartbeat International is a community-based organization dedicated to helping women and children with abortion. The Heartbeat International is a community-based organization dedicated to helping women and children with abortion. So, Heartbeat International is an organization. We have a network of pregnancy help organizations. We have a network of affiliates that come alongside us. And our mission is to reach and rescue as many lives as possible through an effective global network of life-affirming pregnancy help. We want communities to be renewed for life. So, through these organizations, we do a lot of education for pregnancy help organizations so they can take it back to their communities and reach each of their communities. So, let's talk a little bit about the abortion pill reversal process because I remember hearing about it many years ago and the doctor who was advocating for this was really kind of a pariah.
I mean, people made fun of him because they didn't believe it was actually going to work and that was safe. But it's become a lot more mainstream, hasn't it? Yes. So, as we all know, chemical abortion is on the rise. So, for women who have taken Mifepristone, Mifepristone is that first medication used in a chemical abortion. Mifepristone blocks progesterone's action. So, progesterone is the pregnancy-maintaining hormone. So, without progesterone, can't have a pregnancy. So, Mifepristone blocks progesterone's actions by binding progesterone receptors in the uterus and placenta. So, progesterone is the natural hormone in a woman's body. So, what we do is, and our providers do, they prescribe progesterone. This woman takes progesterone with the hopes of outnumbering and outcompeting the Mifepristone in order to reverse the effects of the drug. So, when a woman has taken this medication, she can call our hotline and our calls are answered by option line, 24-7 line that's available for women who are seeking information on abortion or care.
They can call us at 1-877-558-0333 and they call us and we provide a nurse. We have nurses who enter the hotline calls and do an intake and we connect them with providers in their community who can prescribe progesterone for them. Is this safe for mom and if the baby survives, is it safe for the baby?
What kind of outcomes are you seeing? So, with the first medication used in chemical abortion, the Mifepristone, there are no known birth defects associated with this medication. Progesterone, which is what we use for reversal, we have been using progesterone safely for over 50 years. It is the medication that is used for women who are experiencing a threatened miscarriage or for women who have had a history of miscarriage. Progesterone is given just to support the pregnancy. So, what we are using is safe, safe for women and safe for the baby.
And like I said, the Mifepristone, that first medication is not associated with birth defects. You're listening to Family Policy Matters, a weekly radio show and podcast of the North Carolina Family Policy Council. This is just one of the many ways NC Family works to educate and inform citizens across North Carolina about policy issues that impact North Carolina families. Our vision is to create a state and nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished. For more information about NC Family and how you can help us to achieve this incredible vision for our state and nation, visit our website at ncfamily.org. Again, that's ncfamily.org. And be sure to sign up to receive our email updates, action alerts, and of course, our flagship publication, Family North Carolina Magazine.
We'd also love for you to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. As a nurse, do you have concerns over the growth in medical abortions? Because they're the majority of abortions these days, right?
Yes. So what we are seeing in 2020, chemical abortion was 53% of all abortions. It is projected that by the end of 2023, 80% of abortions will be chemical abortion. So we are concerned. And what is most concerning is that this abortion medication is available to anyone.
It is online, it is mail order, anyone can get this medication. So what that means for women is that women are not getting assessments. No one is laying their eyes on these women before they are taken a medication to cause abortion. There's no ultrasound, so we have no idea how far along they are.
There's no follow up. So that is very concerning for the women that are going this route. But you are seeing some reasons for hope in recent years, right? I mean, related to the science surrounding the abortion pill reversal and the attitudes of women that you're seeing? You know, science has come a long way and I think we are finally seeing that science is telling us that a baby is a baby. Just to say ultrasound is a great tool to use when you're introducing the woman to her child. Women are seeing their babies and some of them did not know it was a baby.
They've always been educated that it was just a clump of cells or not educated. But now we have pregnancy resource centers, we have resources in place. Women really don't want abortion. Women want to solve a problem. So if we can come together, if we can use our resources, come together and just be there for these women, love them and help them, love them through the problem per se.
We are seeing better outcomes. Do you feel like the work of Heartbeat International and specifically the Abortion Pill Reversal Network is important for changing hearts and minds toward abortion because it's really the task before us now, right? It is all about education. It is all about going out there and reaching people, reaching organizations and rescuing people, rescuing lives. At Heartbeat International, that's what we do. We go out, we educate, we provide resources that carries through to each community.
That's what we're here for. What about advice for some of our listeners who might want to get involved in this Abortion Pill Rescue Network? What would you say to them as far as how they can get involved?
I would say, again, it is all about education and what they can do. Get into your community and spread the word. Go to your churches, go to your lawmakers, go to those in leadership and spread the word about the resources available and your local pregnancy help organizations. Go there, donate, be the hands and feet that they need to carry out their services, that service women. Get involved in their banquets, get involved in their walks, support them.
Ask them, how can I help? How about for fellow nurses? Are you seeing that there's a need for others who might want to get involved either on a full-time basis or just volunteering part-time?
Yes, absolutely. The nurses, of course, you are needed in your local centers. If you are interested in working with us at Heartbeat International, you can reach out to us at medical at heartbeatinternational.org. We will be glad to answer any questions that you have and direct you in the right way. You can also reach out to that email address if you're interested in providing abortion pill rescue services.
We'll be happy to help you get the right material. Give us some examples. You've said that people can get involved at these centers, that nurses can get involved.
What are some of the specific ways? If they were to walk in and say, I want to volunteer, what are some opportunities that they might be presented with to do in these centers? Your local pregnancy center has a nurse. They need a nurse to do a pregnancy test. Clients come in for pregnancy testing and for verification of pregnancy, so that would be one thing the nurse could do. A nurse can sit with a client one-on-one and just kind of navigate through what is going on, what is the problem, and just help her, the client. When I say her client, navigate the path that she's going down. The nurse also can provide ultrasounds with a little additional training, can provide ultrasounds, and maybe there are some nurses out there that already have that or some sonographers that might be interested.
There is a big need for that, for sure. So one more time, give us your contact information before we go. Lisa Searle with Heartbeat International. Our hotline number, this would be for someone that you know that is seeking reversal, is 1-877-558-0333. You can also go to the abortion pill reversal website, which is abortionpillreversal.com, to learn more about abortion pill reversal.
If you have any questions, you can reach out to us at medical at heartbeatinternational.org and we'll be happy to answer questions. All right, Lisa Searle, thank you so much for being with us today on Family Policy Matters. Thank you so much. You've been listening to Family Policy Matters. We hope you enjoyed the program and plan to tune in again next week. To listen to this show online and to learn more about NC Family's work to inform, encourage, and inspire families across North Carolina, go to our website at ncfamily.org. That's ncfamily.org. Thanks again for listening and may God bless you and your family. We'll be right back. Thank you.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-07-24 12:45:51 / 2023-07-24 12:50:35 / 5
