How does RU 486 work?
RU 486 kills a developing baby after his or her heart has begun to beat. It blocks a vital nutrient hormone, Progesterone. The embryonic baby, who had implanted into the nutrient lining of the mother’s womb at least two weeks earlier, can be compared to a grape on a vine. If the stem is pinched, preventing the nourishing sap from reaching the grape, it will wither, die and drop off. Just so, if this drug is used, it causes the embryonic baby to wither and die. A second drug, prostaglandin, is used to expel the dead baby from her womb.
Counting from the first day of her last normal menstrual period, it is effective only from the fifth through the seventh week. Some claim success, but with decreasing effectiveness, into the 9th week.
RU 486 alone is effective from 60 to 80% of the time. If Prostaglandin is added, the abortion rate rises to 95%. Couzinet et al., "Termination of Early Pregnancy by RU-486 (Mifepristone), New Eng. J. of Med., vol. 315, no. 25, Dec. 18, 1986 O. Ylikorkala et al., Outpatient Abortion With RU-486, OB-GYN, vol 74, no. 4, Oct. 1989 M. Rodger et al., Blood Loss . . . After RU-486 and Prostaglandin...," Contraception, vol. 40, no. 4, Oct. 1989. Science Magazine, Sept. 1989
How is it used?
First Visit: She must have a thorough history, physical exam and blood count. If she’s anemic, has high blood pressure, kidney disease, asthma, has a vaginal infection, smokes or is over 35, she is rejected. Finally, she needs an ultrasound exam to confirm the age of her baby and to rule out a tubal pregnancy. She must sign permission and, in some states or nations, wait 1 or more days. Second Visit: She takes the pills.
Third Visit: She is given the prostaglandin drug. This produces hard labor. Usually the baby parts are passed that day.
Fourth Visit: If she has not aborted or if there is still bleeding, she will need an ultrasound to determine if the uterus is empty. If not, she needs a D&C. The
French Ministry of Health requires that the abortion facility be equipped with an EKG, IV equipment, and a "crash cart" with a defibrillator in the event of a heart attack resulting from the drugs.
There are complications?
Yes. Bleeding is the most common. In the controlled testing reported, one woman in a hundred bled so badly she either needed a D&C (surgical scraping out of her womb) and/or a blood transfusion. In an underdeveloped country, such a treatment would normally not be available and, very likely, some of these women would bleed to death. e.g., In a controlled trial in the state of Iowa, one woman took the pills and went home. She bled so badly She needed four emergency blood transfusions to save her life. Interruption of Preg. with RU-486 & Prostaglandin, Silvestre et al., N. Eng. J. Med., Vol. 322, 3/8/90, No. 10 Efficacy of Mifepristone & Prostaglandin in 1st Trimester Abortion, UK Multicentre Trial, Br. J. OB/Gyn, June ’90, Vol. 97, pp. 480-486
Other complications include substantial pain, tubal pregnancies, incomplete abortion, uterine rupture, e.g., an 18-week abortion with RU 486 and prostaglandin produced rupture of the uterus and a near fatality. Uterine Rupt.-Ab.-Second Trimester: J. Norman, Br. J. Ob/Gyn, vol. 102, Apr. ’95, p. 332
Psychological upset ranging from mild to serious, post-abortion syndrome and, in a few cases, death of the woman occur.
Are there problems with the baby?
RU 486 and a prostaglandin will produce an abortion 95% of the time. The rest will be advised to have a surgical abortion. But there will be some who will refuse surgery and carry to term. These babies will have a significant possibility of fetal deformity. Why?
Two poisonous drugs were given when the heart, limbs, etc., were being formed. This didn’t quite kill, but the effect can be to cause severe structural deformities as a direct toxic effect, similar to those from Thalidomide. This drug may have an action similar to DES, which was used in the ’60s to prevent miscarriage, and which turned out to be a chemical time bomb. RU 486 also can, in the body, react chemically to produce free radicals, which can combine with DNA, the genetic building blocks of our bodies. Through this mechanism fetal deformity can be produced at birth, and/or possibly show up 20 or more years later as a malformation or even cancer, such as the DES did. It is even possible that it could unite with maternal DNA to produce cancer or fetal defects in subsequent offspring. In addition, the drugs can cause genetic damage to the developing baby and, if to the mother, damage to children she bears later, similar to the DES drug tragedy.
In the tightly controlled French experience, there has been one such tragedy. Under the far looser private care in North America, the number of deformed babies should be greater.
Two French researchers report on two women who continued their pregnancies after their RU 486 failed to cause abortion. One delivered a normal baby. "The second pregnancy was terminated because of malformations (sirenomelia)" [fusion of lower extremities] J.C. Pons et al., letter to Lancet, Scrip, Sept. 26, 1991
Aren’t there therapeutic uses?
To date, there are no proven uses of RU 486 to treat any human illness. Research is underway testing whether it will have any beneficial effect on one type of breast cancer, on meningioma (brain tumor), Cushing’s Syndrome or endometriosis. No serious research is projected for any other conditions. Note that pro-life groups have never opposed research with RU 486 to find therapeutic uses. To date all studies of this drug were paid for by or associated with the manufacturer.
Where can I find more details?
A pamphlet, "RU 486, A Human Pesticide," is available from Hayes Publishing Company in Cincinnati Phone (513) 681-7559. |
