Ru 486 Research Paper

The Abortion Pill RU 486: Yes or No?
Psychology of Human Development

Abstract
The aim of this research is to discuss the abortion pill RU 486. Where and when the abortion pill was first approved and how the pill is used. The effectiveness, the side effects and how safe it is, is also discussed. It also talks about why women choose to get a medical abortion over the surgical abortion method; the advantages of using this method.

The Abortion Pill RU 486: Yes or No? When a woman gets the news of being pregnant, it is suppose to be a joyous occasion, right? Most of the time it is, but this is not always the case. Imagine that a woman is already a mother of two children, who is not financially set or doesn’t have the means or help to
take care of another child, or maybe she is a single mother, and then she gets this news of being pregnant, what are her options? The woman has the choice of deciding whether to keep the child or have the option to abort it. Abortion is based on the issue of rights; a woman has the right to control her body and life by taking precedence over a fetus’ right to life. If she decides not to have the child for whatever reason, be it financially or otherwise, and decides to abort it, then the next decision would be, deciding what method to choose from when getting the abortion. The options are getting the procedure done medically, referring to the abortion pill RU 486, or surgically. Many women have opted to get the procedure done medically because it is said to be faster, easier, and more private, but some differ in their opinions. There are many factors that determine whether to utilize the abortion pill RU 486, such as, is the abortion pill RU486 save? What are the side effects and drawbacks of the drug? Is it effective? What are the advantages of getting a medical abortion compared to a surgical abortion? The RU 486 abortion pill was first approved for use in France in September 1988, and by early 1991 more than 60,000 French women had used it (Banwell & Paxman, 1992).
By September of 2000, the Food and Drug Administration approved the abortion pill for sale in the U.S. According to Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group, 20% of all abortions in the U.S. are now “medical” abortions which require no equipment and are far less training for physicians than the surgical option. “The drugs are 95% effective in ending pregnancies up until seven weeks according to the FDA, and are considered the best method for ending very early pregnancies” (Hass, 2011). Stacie Schultz (2000) of the U.S. News & World Report, states “the drug works by blocking the action of the naturally occurring hormone progesterone, which is crucial in the earliest stages of pregnancy, helping to build the lining of the uterus to support the fertilized egg. When it is blocked, the lining breaks down, and bleeding often begins. Misoprostol, which is an approved ulcer medicine, is given two days after the RU 486 (mifepristone). Misoprostol causes the uterus to contract and expel the fertilized egg. When it fails or causes excessive bleeding, doctors perform a surgical
abortion.” With 200,000 to 350,000 women dying annually from complications of illegal abortions, is the abortion pill RU 486 another safe and legal alternative that could save lives? Research shows the abortion pill to be safe and effective, but there are always effects that can cause complications, as with surgical abortion, such as, infection, incomplete abortion, or allergic reaction to the pill. The medical option is not as simple as taking a pill and it’s over with and done, like a number of women might think. When administering the misoprostol, the second pill/stage two days later, this is when the physical effects typically start. The majority of women abort four or five hours after taking the misoprostol but some take up to a few days. Most women state that the medical abortion feels like a miscarriage. The common side effects for this procedure are; painful contractions, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pelvic pains and spasms, dizziness, headaches, and in some cases, prolonged bleeding. There have also been reports of deaths related to the abortion pill. Why would any woman knowing these side effects and risks, take a chance on something going very wrong, such as death? With risks like these, one would reconsider this option before going through with the procedure. Opponents call the drug “baby poison” (Gibbs, Blackman & Thompson, 2000). Even with the approval of the abortion pill, there are always going to be barriers women have to face when seeking abortion, such as, pro-life groups picketing outside clinics and doctor’s offices that perform the medical or surgical abortions or supply the abortion pill. Troy Newman, director of Operation Rescue West, an anti-abortion group in Los Angeles, insists “the organization plans to picket places where the drug is available. We will treat medical abortion no differently than any other method” (Schultz, 2000).
On the other hand, a lot of women think that the abortion pill has clear advantages over the surgical method. Being able to perform the procedure early in the pregnancy compared to doing it surgically, where the woman would have to wait weeks after learning of the pregnancy, is one advantage. Another benefit is having the risk of infection decrease due to not having surgery. The comfort of being able to deal with most of the process at the privacy of your own home is also a plus. Patients also have the option to take the second pill, misoprostol, at home instead of making a second trip to the clinic (Kero et al, p. 325). “Advocates hailed the [abortion] pill as the greatest breakthrough in women’s health since the [birth control] pill” (Gibbs, Blackman & Thompson, 2000).
In this day and age, women who come across the predicament of having a crisis pregnancy, have another option on how to get rid of the pregnancy than the original surgical abortion. Medical abortions are more common now than a decade ago. Of course, those who believe that abortion is wrong, think it is no less wrong when the means is medical rather than surgical. The RU 486 abortion pill will certainly broaden access to abortion for American women. Educating yourself on how safe and effective the pill is, what the side effects are, and the advantages of using this method, is a smart decision before considering the procedure.

References
Banwell, S. S., & Paxman, J. M. (1992). The search for meaning: RU 486 and the law of abortion. American Journal of Public Health, 82(10), 1399-1406.
Gibbs, N., Blackman, A., & Thompson, D. (2000). The pill arrives. Time, 156(15), 40.
Hass, N. (2011). The next roe v wade? Newsweek, 158(25), 25-27.
Kero, A., Wulff, M., & Lalos, A. (2009). Home abortion implies radical changes for women. European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care, 14(5), 324-333.
Schultz, S. (2000). Long-awaited abortion pill will offer privacy—but no less controversy. U.S. News & World Report, 128(8), 79.