{"id":19447,"date":"2026-02-21T15:50:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T15:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=19447"},"modified":"2026-02-21T15:50:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T15:50:22","slug":"south-dakota-fights-non-profit-that-helps-15-year-old-girls-obtain-abortion-pills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=19447","title":{"rendered":"South Dakota Fights Non-Profit That Helps 15-Year-Old Girls Obtain Abortion Pills"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Reading Time:<\/span> 7<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

(THE DAILY SIGNAL) \u2013 South Dakota\u00a0Attorney General Marty Jackley, a Republican,\u00a0received\u00a0over 650 consumer complaints in December about advertisements across the state\u00a0that read, \u201cPregnant?\u00a0Don\u2019t\u00a0want to be?\u201d directing consumers to\u00a0Mayday\u00a0Health.\n<\/p>\n

Jackley filed a cease and\u00a0desist\u00a0order in state court against\u00a0Mayday\u00a0Health, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides education about the abortion pill. The attorney general claimed that the advertisement was in violation of South Dakota\u2019s laws on abortion.<\/p>\n

Connect with\u00a0<\/span>o<\/span>thers in your\u00a0<\/span>s<\/span>tate in\u00a0<\/span>p<\/span>rayer<\/span>.<\/span><\/h4>\n

\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

South Dakota has some of the strictest abortion laws in the country, as abortion is only permitted when it is necessary to save the life of the mother.\n<\/p>\n

Mayday\u00a0Health, however, pushed to have its case heard in a New York federal court that could be sympathetic to its argument in favor of the advertisements.\n<\/p>\n

On Feb. 11, Judge Katherine Polk Failla ruled against\u00a0intervening in the case by declining to grant Mayday\u00a0Health a preliminary injunction.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI do believe that the law requires me to abstain from exercising federal jurisdiction in this case,\u201d said Failla. \u201cI trust that the South Dakota court will get it right.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Jackley spoke to The Daily Signal following the pro-life victory.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cMy position has been clear and unwavering that the deceptive\u00a0advertisement\u00a0is harmful to South Dakotans. I will fight against it. I will do everything I can to stop it,\u201d Jackley told The Daily Signal.\n<\/p>\n

Mayday Health provided a statement from Executive Director Liv Raisner in response to a request for comment from The Daily Signal.\n<\/p>\n

Raisner said, \u201cThe district judge said it best herself: \u2018I do believe that the proper way to view Mayday\u2019s website and the materials on it is noncommercial speech subject to protection under the First Amendment.\u2019 The judge ruled that she doesn\u2019t have jurisdiction over this case, but we look forward to bringing this fight to South Dakota.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The Daily Signal went onto\u00a0Mayday Health\u2019s website\u00a0to see how easy it was to obtain an abortion pill. Girls as young as 15 years old can seek abortion help or order abortion pills on Mayday\u00a0Health\u2019s website.\n<\/p>\n

On Mayday Health\u2019s website, the service asks users, \u201cWhat do you need?\u201d The website\u2019s options include \u201cabortion,\u201d \u201cmorning after pills,\u201d \u201cbirth control,\u201d and \u201cgender-affirming care.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

When users click on the abortion button, the site asks when the user\u2019s last period was, as well as an option that reads, \u201cJust take me to the abortion pills.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The website also informs users that \u201cyou can proactively order abortion pills even if you\u2019re not currently pregnant.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The website continues that \u201cabortion pills are safe, effective during the first 12 weeks, and FDA-approved to get in the mail in all 50 states.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is safe to do your own abortion at home with abortion pills,\u201d the website adds.\n<\/p>\n

Dr. Christina Francis, CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life OBGYN\u2019s, or AAPLOG for short, challenged these claims in comments to The Daily Signal.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cMayday Health\u2019s website not only openly flaunts that they are violating the laws of pro-life states by shipping to all 50 states, but they also appear to intentionally mislead women to think that these dangerous drugs are FDA-approved up to 12 weeks,\u201d Francis told The Daily Signal. \u201cIn fact, they are only approved by the FDA up to 10 weeks,\u00a0and the already significant risks increase even more beyond that.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

If a user says their last period was \u201cless than 12 weeks\u201d ago, the website shows a map of the United States, with red states showing restrictions on abortion and blue states without restrictions.\n<\/p>\n

When users answer \u201cyes\u201d to living in a state shaded in red on the map, Mayday Health prompts users with multiple providers for abortion pills.\n<\/p>\n

If the user claims they do not live in a restrictive state, they are redirected to an\u00a0\u201cineedana.com\u201d page\u00a0that asks, \u201cNeed an abortion?\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Ineedana.com\u2019s \u201cAbout\u201d page\u00a0says, \u201cWe\u2019re designers and engineers that research, report, and seek to improve how people get abortions in the United States.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter what state you live in you still have options,\u201d the ineedana.com website adds above a button that says, \u201cSearch your options now.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Users are then asked to fill out a form that asks their location, the date of their last period, and their age.\n<\/p>\n

The Daily Signal filled out this form as if it were a 15-year-old girl living in South Dakota who had her period last on Jan. 1.\n<\/p>\n

Ineedana.com then provides a disclaimer that reads, \u201cAbortion is banned in South Dakota, but you\u2019ve still got options.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The options presented to this fictitious 15-year-old girl from South Dakota include flying to another state, driving to an out-of-state clinic, or ordering abortion pills online.\n<\/p>\n

The closest clinic, ineedana.com claims, is nearly a six-hour drive away in Omaha, Nebraska.\n<\/p>\n

Ineedana.com projects that the trip will cost over $800, but includes a hyperlink that says, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, there\u2019s $ help!\u201d That hyperlink directs users to a list of a dozen organizations that ineedana.com claims \u201cmay be able to offer you financial help, travel assistance, emotional support, and more.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The page lists the \u201cJustice through Empowerment Network,\u201d \u201cMidwest Access Coalition,\u201d and \u201cSouth Dakota Access for Every Woman\u201d as organizations that work inside the state of South Dakota and could provide help.\n<\/p>\n

While the Justice through Empowerment Network and South Dakota Access for Every Woman did not respond to The Daily Signal\u2019s request for comment, Midwest Access Coalition responded.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a practical abortion fund that helps people traveling to, from, and within the Midwest to access a safe, legal abortion,\u201d Midwest Access Coalition wrote in an email. \u201cTo do that, we support clients with travel, accommodations, food, and childcare, so that they have the support they need to reach they care they deserve. We use ineedana.com so that our clients can find an abortion clinic that can meet their needs.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The page lists the \u201cJustice through Empowerment Network,\u201d \u201cMidwest Access Coalition,\u201d and \u201cSouth Dakota Access for Every Woman\u201d as organizations that work inside the state of South Dakota and could provide help.\n<\/p>\n

While the Justice through Empowerment Network and South Dakota Access for Every Woman did not respond to The Daily Signal\u2019s request for comment, Midwest Access Coalition responded.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a practical abortion fund that helps people traveling to, from, and within the Midwest to access a safe, legal abortion,\u201d Midwest Access Coalition wrote in an email. \u201cTo do that, we support clients with travel, accommodations, food, and childcare, so that they have the support they need to reach they care they deserve. We use ineedana.com so that our clients can find an abortion clinic that can meet their needs.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

When users click through to ineedana.com\u2019s legal risk page, it claims, \u201cwhen it comes to abortion bans, most laws specifically say the pregnant person can\u2019t be criminally charged. Self-managed abortion, or ending your own pregnancy, isn\u2019t a crime in any state (except past 24 weeks in Nevada). But, just because something isn\u2019t a crime doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t be harassed or arrested by law enforcement (even in \u2018safe\u2019 places like California).\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people take \u2018legal risks\u2019 all of the time, like speeding, jaywalking, or smoking weed. You make decisions about risk every day without really thinking about it,\u201d the page adds. \u201c\u2018Legal risk\u2019 doesn\u2019t inherently mean criminalization.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Shield laws are laws that prevent abortion providers from prosecution if they provide abortion services or so-called transgender care to patients who live in states where these procedures and treatments are illegal. Many of the providers, as well as Mayday Health, also connect mothers with other nonprofits that provide financial assistance to cover the $150 cost.\n<\/p>\n

One of the options includes Choices Rising, an abortion pill virtual clinic, which ineedana.com notes as a \u201cminimum age\u201d of 15. Choices Rising\u2019s entry on the webpage is the only option on the page that notes a minimum age.\n<\/p>\n

Ineedana.com and Choices Rising could not be reached for a comment.\n<\/p>\n

Francis warns of the danger that FDA-approved accessibility to these drugs has had. \u201cThis situation amounts to medical negligence, and the FDA must act responsibly by reinstating essential safeguards.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was an important decision, not just for South Dakota, but for all states when it comes to respecting our laws and respecting\u00a0states\u00a0rights and state sovereignty,\u201d said Jackley.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cBeyond the issue of the abortion pills, it is an abstention doctrine that is\u00a0very important\u00a0to the states,\u00a0very important\u00a0to me as attorney general, and it was important to me as United States Attorney,\u201d continued Jackley. \u201cI just appreciate that the federal court gave us the opportunity to be heard and arrived at the conclusion that South Dakota is the right place to enforce our laws in this instance.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The central question in the case is whether or not Mayday\u00a0Health\u2019s advertisements were protected by the First Amendment.\u00a0\u201c[The First Amendment]\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0apply in this situation because\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0an unprotected speech. It is an illegal activity,\u201d Jackley argued.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe laws in South Dakota, in my opinion, are\u00a0constitutional. They fit within Dobbs. It was a trigger decision, a trigger statute, that once that decision occurred, became the law of the land, and the legislature has made\u00a0a very strong\u00a0effort to protect not just the unborn, but the pregnant woman,\u201d said Jackley.\n<\/p>\n

The case Mayday Health v. Jackley is set to be heard in Pierre, South Dakota, on Feb. 20.\n<\/p>\n

The attorney general explained where he stands going into the case. \u201cWe believe there\u2019s deceptive practices and illegal practices occurring,\u201d he said. \u201cOne is the sale of abortion pills, which are illegal in South Dakota. The other is public safety, how they are going beyond the FDA approved use of certain pills.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s also concerns raised about deceptive practice advising\u00a0young pregnant mothers that if they, if they order the pills, they take the pills and they have a medical complication to not seek medical assistance, which is, of course, dangerous for both the baby as well as the pregnant mother,\u201d said Jackley.\n<\/p>\n

He\u00a0believes\u00a0the fact that these ads were targeting vulnerable women will be a big part of this case. The New York federal court records listed approximately 10 examples where the pills were being illegally brought into the state, including dangerous instances where mothers were being given the pills unknowingly by the fathers and\u00a0ultimately experiencing\u00a0losing the baby and\u00a0severe health issues.\n<\/p>\n

The attorney general believes South Dakota \u201cbecame\u00a0the tip of the spear\u201d for\u00a0Mayday\u00a0Health.\n<\/p>\n

Mayday Health has also conducted similar campaigns in Kentucky and North Dakota. In both states officials have taken legal action against the campaigns.\n<\/p>\n

How are you praying against abortion? Share your prayers and scriptures below.<\/h4>\n

This article was originally published in The Daily Signal.<\/em>
\n \n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: 7 minutes (THE DAILY SIGNAL) \u2013 South Dakota\u00a0Attorney General Marty Jackley, a Republican,\u00a0received\u00a0over 650 consumer complaints in December about advertisements across the state\u00a0that read, \u201cPregnant?\u00a0Don\u2019t\u00a0want to be?\u201d directing consumers to\u00a0Mayday\u00a0Health. Jackley filed a cease and\u00a0desist\u00a0order in state court against\u00a0Mayday\u00a0Health, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides education about the abortion pill. The attorney general<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[6323,205,6322,2563,1838,1155,4661,6324,6325,5763],"class_list":{"0":"post-19447","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-prayer","8":"tag-15yearold","9":"tag-abortion","10":"tag-dakota","11":"tag-fights","12":"tag-girls","13":"tag-helps","14":"tag-nonprofit","15":"tag-obtain","16":"tag-pills","17":"tag-south"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19447"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19447\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}