On August 1, 2025, a federal court delivered a decisive victory for religious freedom when it ruled in favor of a pro-life clinic that offers abortion pill reversal treatment.
In Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser, a federal judge permanently blocked Colorado from enforcing its ban on abortion pill reversal treatment against Bella Health.
The ruling is significant because it defends the rights of women to change their minds after taking the first abortion pill, protects preborn babies, and upholds the religious freedom of medical providers to offer life-affirming care in a manner consistent with their deeply held religious beliefs.
Background
In 2023, Colorado passed SB23-190, the first state in the nation to ban abortion pill reversal (APR).
As reported by the Daily Citizen, the law prohibits Colorado doctors from prescribing progesterone to women who begin a chemical abortion and want to stop the process and try to save their baby.
In a chemical abortion, a pregnant woman takes two pills to complete the abortion. The first pill, mifepristone, kills the baby by stopping its development. The second pill, misoprostol, causes the mother’s body to expel the dead baby.
If a woman has a change of heart after she takes the first pill (usually within 72 hours), she may be able to reverse the abortion with a treatment of progesterone, a hormone women have been safely using for decades.
Incredibly, APR has a success rate of 64% and is used by pro-life pregnancy resource centers to help woman who regret starting a chemical abortion.
Bella Health and Wellness, a Catholic health clinic in Colorado, offers APR as part of its mission to serve women in unexpected pregnancies.
In April 2023, the clinic, represented by Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, sued the state, arguing that the law violated their First Amendment right to freely exercise their religious beliefs.
As reported by the Daily Citizen, the court issued a preliminary injunction, in October 2023, to keep the state from enforcing the law against the clinic while litigation continued.
August Ruling
Most recently, Judge Daniel D. Domenico, a federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump, agreed with Bella’s arguments and granted a permanent injunction protecting the clinic and its staff from prosecution as they continue to offer APR.
The court found that Colorados’s law was not neutral or generally applicable, meaning it unfairly singled out religious conduct for punishment, and that triggered strict scrutiny, the highest standard of constitutional review.
Judge Domenico wrote in his August 1st order,
“A glance at SB 23-190 shows that it is not generally applicable. It targets one particular, FDA-approved drug for differential regulation. Even as to that drug, it permits any off-label uses – except the one that is a necessary part of what Defendants concede is Plaintiffs’ religious calling. This is not neutral or generally applicable.”
Under strict scrutiny, the state has to prove they have a compelling interest in advancing the law and that it is narrowly tailored. According to the court, Colorado failed both tests.
In particular, the court noted that there was no evidence of harm from Bella’s APR treatment. And as a matter of fact, at least 16 babies were saved because women were able to reverse their chemical abortions with APR since the litigation began.
Impact
The ruling is a significant legal victory, but it is limited in scope. The legal protection applies only to Bella Health and those acting in concert with them to provide APR. The ruling does not strike down the SB23-190 and it doesn’t protect other PRCs or doctors who offer or promote APR on their own.
For now, we celebrate that religious liberty is preserved, 16 babies were saved from chemical abortion, and that Bella Health can continue to offer Colorado women a second chance at life for their babies through APR.
Next Steps
To date, the state of Colorado has not indicated whether it will appeal the ruling. Under federal rules, the state has 30 days and in this case the deadline to appeal is September 1, 2025. If they don’t file, the ruling stands permanently for Bella Health.
If the state decides to appeal, the case will go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
The Daily Citizen will continue to follow this case.
Some women, after taking the first abortion pill (mifepristone), come to regret their decision.
Thankfully, there is a way to reverse the pill’s effects if prompt action is taken.
To learn more about the abortion pill reversal protocol, visit abortionpillreversal.com or call 1-877-558-0333 to be connected with a medical professional who can guide callers through the process of reversing the pill’s effects.
Additionally, if you’re struggling and need a listening ear, Focus on the Family offers a free, one-time counseling consultation with a licensed or pastoral counselor. To request a counseling consultation, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) or fill out our Counseling Consultation Request Form.
Related articles and resources:
Become an Option Ultrasound Life Advocate
Dealing With Unplanned Pregnancy
New Insights on the Dangers of the Abortion Pill
Photo from Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
