{"id":327706,"date":"2025-03-13T14:50:34","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T19:50:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=327706"},"modified":"2025-03-12T22:31:11","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T03:31:11","slug":"ohio-department-health-illegal-abortion-pill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/ohio-department-health-illegal-abortion-pill\/","title":{"rendered":"Ohio Department of Health refuses to take action against online abortion pill business"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hey Jane, an online abortion pill dispensary, is operating in the state of Ohio \u2014 an action which one pro-life group claims is breaking state law. Despite this, the Ohio Department of Health (DOH) is refusing to take action.<\/p>\n

NPR reported<\/a> that Ohio Right to Life filed a complaint against Hey Jane, alleging that by sending women abortion pills after only a phone consultation, Hey Jane is violating an Ohio law requiring an in-person consultation with a doctor before a woman can access abortion.<\/p>\n

Section 2317.56 of Ohio code states, “At least twenty-four hours prior to the performance or inducement of the abortion, a physician meets with the pregnant woman in person in an individual, private setting and gives her an adequate opportunity to ask questions about the abortion that will be performed or induced.”<\/p>\n

READ: \u2018Humiliating and terrifying\u2019: Pro-abortion news site shares abortion pill horror stories<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis website is putting Ohio women\u2019s health at risk,\u201d Emma Martinez, director of legislative affairs at Ohio Right to Life, told WCMH<\/a>. \u201cHey Jane is breaking Ohio\u2019s law and throwing women\u2019s health to the side, only caring about their agenda to push abortions on women.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hey Jane co-founder Kiki Freeman was quick to attack Ohio Right to Life, rather than address actual concerns. \u201cWe are disturbed and disappointed by their intentional effort to misinform and mislead Ohioans about the legality of Hey Jane\u2019s care in Ohio,\u201d she said. She also said the goal is specifically to expand access to abortion, saying, \u201cOur main goal in Ohio is to provide an additional option for people, including those who prefer not to travel to or wait for an appointment at in-person clinics, which are already overwhelmed with demand.”<\/p>\n

The Ohio DOH responded by saying that if Hey Jane is violating the law in question, it would mean that the situation is a criminal issue, and therefore, it cannot take any action. Instead, it recommended filing a new complaint with the state medical board and the Ohio attorney general.<\/p>\n