Truth about RU-486 - Abortion Pill Kills Women But Still Allowed in Europe and the US

I recently ran across the news about an abortion pill that was allowed for use in Italy, despite the opposition from Vatican. Besides the fact that Vatican consistently has a very strong pro-life anti-abortion stand and this pill, being a special potent steroid used to interrupt pregnancies at advanced stages (up to 2 months and higher), couldn’t but cause the church’s right disapproval, it seems that there are other reasons why Vatican opposed the introduction of this drug. Although the pill was allowed in several European countries, it proved to be quite dangerous. For years of debates linked with the serious side effects of the drug, RU-486 was, however, allowed for administration. I guess, the main reason for this is that pill is a pill, and as such it can help “discreetly solve the problem” in those countries where abortions are either prohibited by law or viewed as highly immoral by society. Is there other serious reason for approving the use of a hazardous abortion drug? RU-486 can be even riskier than invasive abortion operation. After reading that the drug can cause serious health problems and even death, I decided to document myself about RU-486.



When the drug regulation authorities in Italy approved RU-486, their action was highly supported by women\'s groups and pro-choice organizations that considered the pill as an additional, noninvasive abortion procedure. It is worth mentioning that only surgical abortion was previously allowed in Italy. Nevertheless the Italian Pharmaceuticals Agency (AIFA) decided to break the rule and approve the drug. AIFA has also been aware of the high risk of maternal deaths linked with the abortion drug. Since its appearance, the drug caused serious debates about its effectiveness. Let\'s see some facts - the Agency approved the drug despite:



- a report in the Italian Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics about 16 deaths of women in 2008 that have been linked with the drug (such death rate is much higher compared to surgical abortion). Nevertheless, shortly after the study was published, the Scientific and Technical Committee (STC) of AIFA decided to make a few first steps towards approving the drug for sale;

- 13 death and more than 1,100 injuries caused by RU-486 only in the United States (99 percent of patients who participated in the trials experienced one of the following side effects: abdominal pain - 97 percent, nausea - 67 percent, headache - 32 percent, vomiting - 34 percent, diarrhea - 23 percent);

- serious side effects such as: uterine hemorrhage, viral infections and vaginitis (the majority of patients had more than one side effect.



Some studies, like the one carried out in Denmark and published in the 2007 August issue of New England Journal of Medicine, claimed that the abortion pill was safe. However, it turned out that the research only studied whether RU-486 had any side effects in future pregnancies. The research did not present any concrete information about the health problems the drug causes in women, such as the lethal infections. In addition, it was discovered that the administration of the abortion drug can lead to serious psychological problems. RU-486 was developed by a French company called Roussel-Uclaf. The company\'s former chairman Edouard Sakiz was quoted by \"Le Monde\", a French newspaper, as saying: \"[Though] no anesthetic is required, 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.\"



In Canada, a woman who took part in the RU-486 trials in 2001, died from septic shock caused by a bacterial infection. After the tragedy the trials were suspended. In the United States, women who participated in trials of the abortion drug were hospitalized due to excessive bleeding that in some patients lasted for 30 days. Such frightening statistics were probably not enough for Italian officials. Can it be that the drug was approved for reasons other than just helping those who are afraid of surgical procedure? The drug industry cannot be completely transparent; in fact, everything that deals with loads of money cannot be transparent. I certainly hope that none of the women will suffer from the abortion drug, but if I\'m wrong, how many problems associated with the drug must there be to persuade officials to prohibit its usage? It would be helpful for many pregnant women if women themselves, who have used this drug, would share their true experiences about it.