Ru 486 Misconceptions Myths and Morals - ressourcesfeministes

RU 486termination by in tra-amniotic PG cases beyond the 22ndweek was probably not recommendable, as the foetus maysometimes survive the procedure’ (idem.).Irrespective of motive, WHO trials proceeded,unconcerned that physiological PG levels were dramaticallyincreased by an experimental 25 mg amount of exogenousPG, albeit administered via the intra-amniotic route. Normally,in women these levels are in the nanogram or even pikogramrange (a nanogram [abbreviated to ng] being 0.001 mcg, anda pikogram [abbreviated to pk] being 0.000001 mcg). This 25mg dose, is the equivalent of 25,000 mcg or 25,000,000 ng ofPG and requires a 2.5 million-fold dilution by body fluids orchemical decay before physiological levels are restored withinthe cervical region of women subjected to this amount of PG.The biological consequences of outrageously excessive PGconcentrations, which may be further amplified by the use ofstable, synthetic PG analogues, is unknown.More recent PG-induced abortion procedures employintra-amniotic, intramuscular or intra-vaginal delivery of thePG derivatives. The PGE 2analogues, Cervagem(gemeprost) and Nalador (sulprostone) are those mostfrequently prescribed, gemeprost being a 1 mg vaginalpessary and sulprostone a 0.25 or 0.5 mg intramuscularinjection. A 1982 symposium on Cervagem ‘A NewProstaglandin in Obstetrics and Gynaecology’, valorizedSultan M.M. Karim as ‘the father, if not the grandfather, ofPGs in the field of obstetrics’. Karim (1983), in his report tothe symposium audience, listed the applications of exogenousPGs in gynecology and obstetrics that he judged to be themimicry of natural processes:94…menstrual induction/termination of very earlypregnancy, termination of first trimester pregnancy, preevacuationcervical dilation in first trimester of pregnancy,termination of abnormal intra-uterine pregnancy, preinductioncervical ripening, induction of labour, control