South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden gives remarks during a naturalization ceremony at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Keystone, S.D. (AP Photo/Matt Gade)

During South Dakota’s State of the State address last week, Gov. Larry Rhoden (R) spread misinformation about abortion pills and promoted “abortion reversal medication,” which is highly discredited by medical experts.

Moments after declaring South Dakota the “freest state” in the country, Rhoden bragged about suing a medication abortion company and vowed to work with Republican lawmakers on restricting access to abortion pills. He said, without evidence, that the medication causes “a higher rate of medical complications for women.” (The abortion medication mifepristone is safer than some of the most common prescription drugs.)

Rhoden then claimed some pregnant women in the state are seeking abortion reversal pills from crisis pregnancy centers, referring to the discredited pills as a “medical miracle.”

“Here today, we have medical professionals from two crisis pregnancy centers, the Alpha Center in Sioux Falls and Black Hills Pregnancy Center in Rapid City,” Rhoden said. “They are seeing firsthand how abortion pills harm women. Some moms come in with medical complications; other moms come in seeking reversal pills, which are a medical miracle. Would you please join me in thanking these medical professionals for their life-saving work?”

Abortion reversal treatment attempts to reverse the effects of medication abortion like mifepristone. The controversial practice is often promoted by crisis pregnancy centers (CPC) like Alpha Center and Black Hills Pregnancy Center, the ones Rhoden referenced in his speech. CPCs are nonmedical institutions known for giving women false information about reproductive health in order to dissuade them from getting abortions, and they falsely claim that abortion reversal treatment is safe for women.

In 2019, Wisconsin Republicans attempted to pass a bill that would have mandated doctors to inform patients about abortion reversal treatment. The bill prompted testimony from the Wisconsin Medical Society, who condemned abortion reversal treatment as unsafe.

“Referring women to outside organizations promoting this type of treatment is dubious, as ‘reversal’ procedures have not undergone needed evidence-based research,” the Wisconsin Medical Society testified. “Indeed, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) does not support claims that this type of treatment is safe and/or effective,” the testimony reads.

ACOG maintains that reversing medication abortions is not supported by science, as the practice lacks ethical research. 

In an email inquiry, Heartland Signal asked why Rhoden chose to advocate for organizations that are not backed by medical institutions. Josie Harms, Rhoden’s press secretary, said that Rhoden supports crisis pregnancy centers.  

“Governor Rhoden is proud to promote the life-saving work that is being done by crisis pregnancy centers like the Alpha Center and the Black Hills Pregnancy Center,” Harms said. “While you cite the pro-abortion ACOG, the American Association of Pro-Life OB/GYNs actively promotes the life-saving impact of the progesterone abortion reversal pills.”

In 2020, scientists conducted a clinical trial to study the use of progesterone to reverse the effects of mifepristone, the most common medication used for non-procedural abortions. The study was discontinued over patient safety concerns as women experienced profuse bleeding, nausea and vomiting.