RU-486: The "Abortion Pill" Fact Sheet Photo: microscopic view of a beautiful but deadly RU-486 crystal (© 1995-1998 by Michael W. Davidson and The Florida State University)

Overview

Contrary to popular misconception, the use of RU-486 to induce abortion is neither simple nor inexpensive, and can involve serious complications and consequences.

What is RU-486?

RU-486 is known chemically as mifepristone. It blocks the ability of the uterus to absorb progesterone, a natural hormone essential for maintaining pregnancy.

RU-486 Abortion Procedure

First visit: The woman must have a thorough history, physical exam and blood count, followed by an ultrasound exam to confirm the age of her baby and to rule out a tubal pregnancy. She must sign a permission form and, if her state's law does not require a waiting period, take three RU-486 tablets.

Second visit: Two days later, she returns and is given the prostaglandin drug which induces hard labor.

What happens if the fetus is not expelled?

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.

When is this used in a pregnancy?

Up to sixty-three days (nine weeks) from the time of conception. Source: Louise Levathes, Hippocrates (Feb. 1995), p. 45.

Baby Growth Facts

Day 1 - Conception
One week - Attaches to wall of womb
Two weeks - Stops mother's menstrual period
Three weeks - Heart is beating
Six weeks - Brain waves measurable; moves and responds to touch
Eight weeks - Feels pain; sucks thumb; grasps; swims
Ten weeks - Body completely formed, even fingerprints

Complications

"The studies predicted painful uterine contractions in four out of every five women, nausea in half the women, vomiting and diarrhea in about one in five. Almost all women using the pill bleed, on an average for nine days. One in a hundred women in the U.S. trials had to be hospitalized following the procedure." Source: Houston Chronicle Newspaper, Houston Texas (Saturday, July 20, 1996)

Biological scientist Lawrence F. Roberge has conducted extensive research on the effects of RU-486. In his article, RU486: The Hidden Effects, printed in a recent issue of Catholic Family News, Roberge cites that RU-486, and its accompanying prostaglandin, can strongly suppress the woman's immune system, thereby leading to serious infections. Roberge also located data that demonstrates that any use of RU-486 must also require that the woman avoid the use of over-the counter pain relievers (e.g. aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.) as these products interact with RU-486 to accelerate bleeding. This may help explain several reported cases of near-fatal hemorrhaging and the reported death of a woman in France due to massive bleeding. The article discusses the fact that RU-486 can diminish sleep, especially "dream sleep," and thus lead to further psychological trauma to the woman. Finally, Roberge discovered that RU-486 reverses the pain-relieving effects of acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol™. In the presence of RU-486, acetaminophen actually increases pain sensations.

Psychological Upset

• Edouard Sakiz, then-chairman and CEO of Roussel UCLAF: "As abortifacient procedures go, RU-486 is not at all easy to use. In fact, it is much more complex to use than the technique of vacuum extraction. True, no anaesthetic is required. But a woman who wants to end her pregnancy has to 'live' with her abortion for at least a week using this technique. It's an appalling psychological ordeal." Source: Interview, "Drug firm defends marketing strategy on abortion pill," Guardian Weekly (United Kingdom) (August 19, 1989), originally published the French newspaper LeMonde.
• Christian Frenpzel, nurse at Broussais abortion facility in France: "Nurse Frenpzel remembers a day during the 63-day trials when she went to the back of the clinic and saw six surgical dishes with six embryos in them by the sink. 'It was upsetting,' she said. 'It was like looking at a little row of people. The women too were shocked when they looked at what they had expelled.' "'Last year, we performed more than 200 abortions using RU-486 up to 63 days,' she said, 'but I hope I never, never have to do it again.'" Source: Louise Levathes, Hippocrates (Feb. 1995), p. 45.
• Dr. Judith Tyson, abortionist, medical director of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, who is conducting an RU-486 trial for Vermont: "We've had a few patients who've been somewhat shocked at the tissue they passed, at seeing the little bubble there, the sac and placenta...some women just don't want to know about it. And while some women have very little pain, most do have a lot of cramping, similar to a miscarriage. And some have heavy bleeding, which can go on for days." Source: Tamar Lewis, "Clinical Trials Giving Glimpses of Abortion Pill," New York Times (January 30, 1995), p. A1.
• Abortionist, RU-486 clinical trial in St. Louis: "'Using this drug requires that the woman take responsibility for what happens,' says the doctor who will conduct the local clinical trials. 'She is the one who is going to have to swallow the pill. She's going to be very aware of what it does to her body.'...'The woman who uses it is going to bleed and pass tissue,' the doctor said. 'Not every woman is going to want to experience that. Some will continue to prefer the surgical procedure, which shields them from what is happening.'" Source: Martha Shirk, "Abortion Pill To Be Tested Here," St. Louis Post-Dispatch (April 7, 1995), p. 10A.

  Note: the four sources quoted above were taken from The RU-486 Report from Life Issues Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio, October 1995.

Post-Abortion Stress

"Many women getting abortions are very ambivalent. One defense mechanism for her is to say 'I can't help it. I have no choice. Anyhow, they are doing this to me.' With this (RU-486), she swallows the pills and does it to herself." Source: RU-486: A Human Pesticide, Hayes Publishing Company, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, 1995.

Post-Abortion Stress Symptoms

Anxiety, including sleep problems or nightmares Avoidance of babies and children Eating disorders Fear about current child-bearing ability Guilt or self-condemnation Painful "anniversary" remembrances Repression or denial of circumstances of abortion Suicidal thoughts and/or actions

Depression Desire for a "replacement" pregnancy Emotional numbness Flashbacks of the abortion experience Dysfunctional relationships Sense of alienation from God Feelings of helplessness, loss of control Alcohol/drug abuse

If you or someone you know is suffering from a past abortion experience, there is both help and healing available to you.

To locate help in Texas, contact Hope Pregnancy Centers of Brazos Valley at (979) 846-1097 and they will put you in touch with the help closest to you. For the remainder of the United States and Canada, call CareNet at (800) 395-HELP.

In Closing...

Post-abortion stress has far-reaching effects. If you throw a stone out into a lake, the stone sinks to the bottom...but watch the ripples that occur from the impact. That's a picture of an abortion. It doesn't end when a woman walks out of an abortion clinic. Her abortion deeply affects her, the father of their child, grandparents, siblings, friends and many others.

The vast majority of abortive women and men live in a silent "hell," unable to grieve for their lost children or even talk about their feelings.

There is help...and there is hope.