DEADLY RU486 PILL
Abortion Pill Not "Safe" In Spite Of Study
Misleading conclusions are being drawn about the safety of RU486
Washington, DC - August 16, 2007 - Misleading conclusions are being drawn in news stories based on a study that has indicated that the RU486 abortion drug is no more dangerous than surgical abortions.
"Reporters are drawing the erroneous conclusion that this study means RU486 is completely safe. That's not what the study says, and nothing could be further from the truth," said Operation Rescue Senior Policy Advisor Cheryl Sullenger. "Women are dying at an alarming rate from RU486 abortions and its widespread misuse in the abortion industry. That has not changed."
The study indicates that future pregnancies are equally affected by RU486 abortions and surgical abortions. However, it is a leap in logic to say that either are safe when the study simply shows that the risks to future pregnancies of both abortion methods are equal.
"Women who have had abortions have greater risks of miscarriage and infertility than women who have not had abortions. It is no accident that the study refused to compare these two groups of women, because we know they would have found that abortion hurts women, and that is obviously a conclusion that they did not want to reach," said Sullenger.
RU486 is a drug approved for abortions in pregnancies under six weeks. Three office visits are usually required for this kind of abortion. Some reports indicate that RU486 has a 15% failure rate, meaning that many women who receive the drug must also have a surgical abortion to completely remove the pre-born baby and other pregnancy tissue.
"Women aborting with RU486 can pass their babies anywhere. This has created a lot of emotional trauma for women who do not expect to come face to face with a tiny baby complete with arms, legs and a recognizable face," said Sullenger.
"The reputation of RU486 has suffered recently because of the publicity generated by a number of abortion deaths related to the drug. The media distortion we are seeing is a simple case of public relations damage control," said Sullenger. "Hiding the possibility of RU486's life-threatening dangers from women really shows that there is more concern for selling abortions than for protecting and informing women. This misinformation campaign is really a horrific thing when you think about it that could needlessly cost women's lives."
About Operation Rescue
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates. Click here to support Operation Rescue
Web site: http://www.operationrescue.org
E-mail: info@operationrescue.org
Operation Rescue Troy Newman President 316-841-1700 Operation Rescue Cheryl Sullenger Senior Policy Advisor 316-516-3034
Operation Rescue | P.O. Box 782888 | Wichita | KS | 67278
U.S. Catholic bishops’ official, pro-life groups lament 2 RU-486 deaths
3/20/2006
Catholic Online
(http://www.catholic.org)
WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) – A spokeswoman for the Pro-Life Secretariat of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and two pro-life groups lamented the deaths of two more women from RU-486 abortions.
Deirdre A. McQuade, director of planning and information for the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, in a March 17 statement also called on Congress to pass “Holly’s Law,” which would temporarily suspend of the U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration's approval of RU-486 so the U.S. comptroller general can review the FDA's adherence to statutory mandates in its process for approving the drug.
In the March 17, 2006, FDA Public Health Advisory "Sepsis and Medical Abortion Update," the agency said, "The Food and Drug Administration has been informed of two additional deaths following medical abortion with mifepristone (Mifeprex). The agency received verbal notification of the deaths in the United States from the manufacturer, Danco Laboratories. At this time we are investigating all circumstances associated with these cases and are not able to confirm the causes of death." McQuade said the FDA announcement brings to 10 the total number of know maternal fatalities from the drug.
“We are deeply saddened by yet another advisory from the Food and Drug Administration that two more women have died from RU-486 abortions,” she said.
“According to the New England Journal of Medicine (December 2005 issue), RU-486 abortions are 10 times more likely to kill a woman, from infection alone, than are surgical abortions in early pregnancy,” McQuade said. “This estimate does not even include RU-486 related deaths from other causes, such as ruptured ectopic pregnancy.”
“After five years of trauma and death associated with RU-486, the FDA’s response has been limited to health advisories and amended drug labeling. How many more healthy women must die before the agency takes a close second look at RU-486?” she asked. “We again call on Congress to pass the ‘RU-486 Suspension and Review Act’ (“Holly’s Law”) which will protect women’s lives while the flawed FDA approval process of this dangerous drug is scrutinized.”
“How many women will have to die after taking this drug?” asked Randall O’Bannon of National Right to Life. “One death is too many. But after at least seven American deaths and at least 12 reported deaths worldwide, it is clear that this drug should not be given to women,” said the organization’s director of education and research. National Right to Life claims that many deaths and injuries related to the drug may never be reported. Reporting is voluntary, and women going to the emergency room may never tell the doctor they have taken the drug, the organization explained in a press release. Concerned Women for America, in a release, pointed out that the FDA has pulled other drugs that have caused fewer deaths and less severe complications than RU-486. Given the statistics, the CWA is wondering why the FDA is slacking in pulling Mifeprex off the shelf. In a Feb. 1 press conference here, McQuade noted U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ support for "Holly's Law."
Since its approval by the FDA in September 2000, RU-486 has been marketed in the United States under the names Mifeprex and Early Option by Danco Laboratories. Known generically as mifepristone, it induces an abortion in the first seven weeks of pregnancy when used in conjunction with another drug, a prostaglandin.
RU-486 prevents the fertilized egg from clinging to the uterine wall, and the prostaglandin is used 48 hours later to set off contractions that expel the embryo. RU-486 was first produced in France and approved there in 1988.
Holly's Law is named in memory of Holly Patterson, an 18-year-old from California who died from toxic shock after being given RU-486. Eight women in the United States are reported to have died after RU-486 abortions.
The bill is before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. No hearings have been scheduled.
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Catholic News Agency and Catholic News Service contributed to this report.
Wednesday STOPP Report August 8, 2006
The weekly publication dedicated to bringing you the latest news about Planned Parenthood
You can visit our web site at www.all.org/stopp and read back issues of the WSR at http://www.all.org/stopp/report.htm
THE FACTS ON PLAN B:
PLAN B DESTROYS PREBORN BABIES The "morning after" chemical cocktail frequently acts to destroy the life of a newly conceived human being in the days immediately following fertilization.
A Planned Parenthood website even acknowledges this fact by admitting that the "morning-after" pill frequently works by, "changing the lining of the uterus so that a fertilized egg could not implant in the uterus." As a result, a tiny preborn child is killed.
PLAN B IS DANGEROUS TO THE GIRLS AND WOMEN WHO TAKE IT There are numerous health risks associated with the drug and the proposed agreement would allow it to be distributed without proper medical supervision.
Also, there's no guarantee that girls under 18 would not be able to get their hands on this drug; there are too many adults willing to bend the rules.
TAKE ACTION --- CALL OR E-MAIL THE WHITE HOUSE WHITE HOUSE COMMENT LINE: 202-456-1111 WHITE HOUSE E-MAIL: comments@whitehouse.gov
American Life League P.O. Box 1350 Stafford, VA 22555 US
- American Life League Infomation Site on RU486
http://www.ru486.org/
. Vineyard Church of Columbus
http://www.vineyardcolumbus.org/ministries/pro_life/index.asp?pg=ru486
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/ru486/
- New York State Right to Life
http://www.nysrighttolife.org/RU486.htm
- Pope urges pharmacists to reject abortion pill
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071029/ts_nm/pope_drugs_dc;_ylt=Ar5qoYnjU1rFyBI7WFVlnMCs0NUE
Wisconsin Man Who Tried to Cause Girlfriend's Abortion Jumps Bond
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 30, 2007
http://www.lifenews.com/state2714.html
General Abortion Information
http://www.choosehope.org/general-abortion-procedures.html
Abortion is not just a simple medical procedure
For many women, having an abortion is a life changing event that has significant emotional, physical & spiritual consequences. Most women who struggle with past abortions say they only wish they'd been told all the facts about abortion and its risks.
Abortion Procedures
During the first trimester, a woman can typically choose between a medical (involving injections or pills) abortion and a surgical abortion.
What Is The “Abortion Pill”?
The abortion pill is the drug mifepristone (Mifeprex). It was originally referred to RU-486. It is a medicine that terminates an early pregnancy. It is used up until 63 days following the first day of the patient’s Last Menstrual Period (LMP)
What Happens during a Medical Abortion?
The medical abortion involves three steps:
Step One – The Abortion Pill
During the first office visit to the clinic, the patient is given the abortion pill. This pill
blocks the hormone progesterone, causing the uterine lining to be compromised, and the embryo is terminated.
Step Two – Misoprostol
During the second office visit, the patient is given a second medicine called misoprostol, which causes the uterus to empty. The patient takes the misoprostol up to three days after taking the mifepristone.
The misoprostol will induce cramping and heavy bleeding. Large blood clots or tissue may become visible as the contents of the uterus are emptied.
Step Three – Follow-Up
The patient will need to go back to the doctor for a third visit to make sure the abortion is complete. If the abortion did not result in the end of you’re the pregnancy, then a surgical abortion procedure will most likely be needed.
Adapted from: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/in-clinic-abortion-procedures-4359.htm
Abortion pill makes big bucks
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=947220