RU-486: Little Mentioned but on the Rise
- Jan 29, 2008 - 1
At least six American women have died and more than 600 others have suffered adverse health complications after taking the abortion drug RU-486. Yet the abortifacient remains on the market and is fast becoming the preferred alternative to surgical abortions.
On January 22, the somber 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion on demand in the United States, the Washington Post headlined the growing popularity of RU-486-induced abortions, which have risen 22 percent annually and now account for 14 percent of all abortions. Roughly 840,000 abortions have been performed in the United States with RU-486 since its approval in 2000.
This disturbing report comes in the wake of some encouraging news for the pro-life community that the number of abortions performed in the United States is on the decline, dropping from 1.31 million in 2000 to 1.21 million in 2005, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
RU-486, also known as mifepristone and branded as Mifeprex, can induce abortion within the first seven weeks of gestation by blocking progesterone, thereby shutting down preparation of the uterus and cutting off nutrition to the baby. Working alone, the drug has proven to be effective only 60 to 85 percent of the time. A second drug, misoprostol, is taken within 48 hours to increase effectiveness by causing uterine contractions to help expel the dead baby. Ironically, the company that manufactures misoprostol has warned doctors that it recommends this drug not be used for abortions.
The reasons for keeping RU-486 on the market, amid its dangers to women, are unclear, leaving the pro-life community demanding answers. A brief look at the history of RU-486, however, reveals many causes for alarm.
Instead of undergoing the required rigorous tests mandated for drug approval, the FDA fast-tracked RU-486 under a procedure known as Subpart H that is supposed to be used only for drugs that treat life-threatening conditions. This occurred in the waning days of the Clinton Administration, nearly eight years after President Clinton, in his first official act in office, ordered the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA to market RU-486. Under intense pressure by the abortion lobby to approve RU-486, the FDA scrapped its proposed health and safety guidelines. These foregone requirements included, among others, that:
- an ultrasound be performed before administering the drugs to determine the date of pregnancy;
- only a doctor licensed to perform a medical abortion can administer the drugs;
- both drugs be administered under a physician’s supervision; and
- training be provided to physicians who administer the drugs.
Other concerns on the distribution of RU-486 abound, as many clinics disregard the FDA guidelines that have been put in place. Many clinics, for example, deviate from the FDA’s suggested dosages of mifepristone and misoprostol in order to boost profits. Some clinics, including Planned Parenthood, offer the drug combination up to 63 days gestation, two weeks later than recommended. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of women have had their lives endangered—some even lost—as a result of the greed of the pro-abortion lobby.
Fortunately, many members of Congress are fighting to pull RU-486 from the market. Efforts last year by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and others in the Senate, however, were rebuffed. Meanwhile, in the House, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) is sponsoring the RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of 2007 (H.R. 63), which would require the FDA to suspend RU-486 as the Comptroller General reviews whether the FDA rushed the drug to the market. Dubbed Holly’s Law, the legislation is named in memory of Holly Patterson, an 18-year-old Californian who died after using the drug.
Planned Parenthood’s claim that “mifepristone has proven to be a safe, effective, acceptable option for women seeking abortion during the first several weeks of pregnancy” has rightfully sparked outrage among Holly Patterson’s family and the families of hundreds of others who have been victimized by this abortion drug.
People on both sides of the abortion debate should agree that any drug regimen that does not undergo adequate testing and poses a danger to women should be withdrawn. If you believe RU-486 should be pulled from the market and scrutinized to determine whether it was acceptable for the FDA to fast-track the drug’s approval, please tell your congressman or congresswoman to cosponsor the RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of 2007 (H.R. 63).
1 comments (post your own) feed
1 On Feb 3rd, 2008, at 10:29am, Thomas C. Abney Jr. wrote:
Thanks for bringing forth the truth. 80% of abortions are from unwed mothers. Abortion in its many forms is to support lustful, premarital sex. God help us to change mindsets.
“Be a Hero, Save a Baby by Saving Sex”