Abortion is the termination of pregnancy before birth, resulting in, the death of the fetus. Some abortions occur naturally because a fetus does not develop normally or because the mother has an injury or disorder that prevents her from carrying the pregnancy to term. This type of spontaneous abortion is known as a miscarriage. Other abortions are induced, because a pregnancy is unwanted or presents a risk to a woman s health.

There are four different techniques utilized during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Suction aspiration, also known as vacuum curettage, is the most common surgical means of abortion (Encarta, 1998). This is when a powerful suction tube with a sharp cutting edge is inserted into the womb through the dilated cervix. The suction dismembers the body of the developing baby, tearing the placenta from the wall of the uterus, and sucking blood, amniotic fluids, placental tissue, and fetal parts into a bottle. Although it is one of the safer methods, there are still frequent complications such as infection and tearing of the uterus, causing hemorrhaging (Encarta 1998).

In recent news, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the sale of the abortion pill mifepristone, or the RU 486, and it has fewer restrictions than before (Time 41). Any family doctor or ob-gyn can now prescribe the two-drug regimen, provided the he or she has some surgical backup arrangement if it fails to end the pregnancy or there are side affects. The FDA has made it much easier for abortions no more clinics, and no more waiting until pregnancy is far enough along for a surgical abortion. All females have to do is take a series of pills over a period of days to induce a miscarriage (Time 41).

Though the FDA has ruled the new pill as safe and effective back in 1996, it took four more years to find an acceptable manufacturer and figure distribution (Time 43). Last summer, the FDA put a restriction on the pill, which was that only doctors who could do surgical abortions would be allowed to prescribe mifepristone. The recent ruling said that to prescribe the drug, a doctor must be able to date the pregnancy and if anything goes wrong, they could provide surgical intervention, either to complete the abortion or to stop heavy bleeding (Time 44).

The RU 486 is a steroid hormone similar in structure to the natural hormone progesterone. Dr. Etienne-Emile Baulieu invented it in 1980 for the French pharmaceutical company Roussel-Uclaf. It is considered to be a breakthrough in birth control technology (RU-486 1996).

In a woman s body, the natural hormone, progesterone, is essential for establishing and maintaining a pregnancy. RU 486 works by binding to the progesterone receptors in the woman s uterus and blocking the action of progesterone. The lining of the woman s uterus breaks down and sheds as it does in a normal menstrual cycle The Process of RU 486 1999).

It is not a do-it-yourself abortion pill it has four stages that is administered under close medical supervision at authorized medical centers. The female must visit an approved clinic for a physical examination and pregnancy test. Her medical history is screened to determine if there is any reason why the drug should not be used in her case. As she proceeds to the second stage, she is given the RU 486 tablet (usually three pills of 200 mg), and swallows he in the presence of a medical practitioner before leaving the clinic. Then she must return to the clinic after forty-eight hours to receive the prostaglandin, which will complete the abortion. The female must stay at the clinic for the next four to six hours. Up to ninety percent abort at the clinic, and the rest abort later at home. Several days later, the female mu7st return to the place where she had the procedure for a physical examination to make sure that the abortion is complete and to see if she is experiencing any side effects. Bleeding, similar to a heavy period, lasts on an average for ten to twelve days ( RU 486 1996).

The side effects that occur include excessive bleeding, menstrual-type pain and cramping, which are comparable to those of surgical abortion. Some women experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea from the prostaglandin. About one percent of women who take the drug, experience heavy bleeding that requires further treatment ( RU 486 1996).

The pill process is as effective to the same level of effectiveness s surgical abortion performed during the early weeks (Encarta 1998). Studies have states that this process is safe with few complications, but not all women can use it. Those who have been receiving long-term corticosteroid therapy (any steroid hormone that derives from the cortex, of the adrenal gland, or low maintenance of ion balance) (Encarta 1998), who have a blood clotting disorder, or chronic gland failure, are not able to use this method of abortion. Of the numbers of the women who have used the regimen, the rate of occurrences is low compared to other drugs or medical procedures. Clinical tests since 1982 have not revealed any evidence of long-term health effects on women who use the pill, and such effects appear unlikely given the very short time women are exposed to the drug ( Process of RU 486 1999).

In consistence with the safety of the pill, there are certain disadvantages to the pill. It is only effective during the earliest weeks of pregnancy, a time when many women do not know when they are pregnant. It takes longer that surgical abortion; the vacuum aspiration is done in 15 minutes, whereas the RU 486 takes a series of days ( RU 486 1996). With it being a new procedure, the long-term safety cannot be confirmed yet. There are a few advantages to the pill also. The abortion is non surgical, and it puts the female at no risk of perforation. It has a greater psychological control over the termination of pregnancy, and it is considered less physically persistent and appears more similar to a miscarriage than to an induced abortion ( RU 486 1996). This pill also has other uses. It can be used for breast cancer, glaucoma, contraception, and various other medical problems (Encarta 1998).

The international medical science community has formally recognized the importance of the RU 486 and supported its testing. They see the new pill as a significant medical breakthrough. This approved medical invention will change the way abortions are performed. Some think it is better and some think it is worthless. It is a new abortion method; will women take the choice?

Works Cited

Abortion. Encarta Encyclopedia. 1998 ed.

Gibbs, Nancy. The FDA Gives Women a New Abortion

Choice. Time. 9 Oct 2000: 41-47.

The Process of the RU 486. www.lycos.com/RU486/

Abort06201992. Online Internet. 10 Apr 1999.

RU 486 . www.cbctrust.com/RU486.96.html Online

Internet. June 1996. .