By Raymond J. Adamek, PhD
In consultation with the American Association of Pro-Life OB/GYNs, Live Action has published a comprehensive and well-documented report entitled Abortion Pill Exposed. The report includes the developmental and legal history of RU-486, how it works, its adverse effects, who has supported its development and is “pushing to deregulate” it, and the legislation passed to protect the preborn and their mothers from its effects. This article summarizes some of these topics. You can read and download the entire report at liveaction.org/abortion-pill-kills.
The government’s role
The Food and Drug Administration exercises some control over the use of the abortion pill(s). One way is its Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, which governs some 74 drugs (of the thousands in use), their use, and safety. The pro-abortion movement would like to get the abortion pill off the REMS list and have it available over the counter without a prescription. Under previous REMS regulations, the abortion pill Mifeprex (a.k.a. mifepristone) can only be dispensed under the supervision of a clinician who is certified to prescribe it, and it must be dispensed in clinics, medical offices, or hospitals. The clinician is expected to supervise the patient, who must sign an FDA agreement establishing informed consent regarding the pills’ risks. According to Abortion Pill Exposed, these risks include possible “excruciating abdominal pain, weeks of heavy bleeding, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, infection, sepsis and in some cases, death.”1
The report also states that the FDA maintains an Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for the abortion pill and other drugs. Between 2000 and 2018, 24 deaths involving the pill were reported, as well as over 1,000 hospitalizations and 4,195 adverse events attributed to its use. However, these events are underreported, since reporting by both consumers and healthcare professionals is voluntary.
Live Action’s report notes that “a recent study by the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices found that FAERS data may only reflect about 1% of all adverse events associated with FDA-approved drugs, devices, and products.”2 Moreover, abortion providers often tell women to go to an emergency room if they are having difficulty and report only that they are having a miscarriage.
To read the remainder of this article, visit clmagazine.org/topic/abortion/mailing-ru-486-makes-women-patient-abortionists.
To read more inspirational pro-life articles, visit the Celebrate Life Magazine website at clmagazine.org.