Ru 486 Misconceptions Myths and Morals - ressourcesfeministes

RU 486The situation is different in the UK where Roussel Uclafapplied to the Ministry of Health for a marketing license,approval for which, according to Tony Seaton of RousselUclaf UK, ‘could take from 18 months to two years’ (pers.comm. to RK, 28 July 1990). In early 1991, it was rumoredthat the licensing procedure had been speeded up andapproval would be granted by the end of January. Approvalwas finally granted on 3 July 1991. No application formarketing approval has been made in Australia. In August1990, former Federal Minister Margaret Reynolds urgedwomen to undertake a letter writing campaign to put pressureon Roussel Uclaf (Gillies, 1990). Another action undertakento bolster chemical abortion came in November 1990 at aconference sponsored by the Abortion Providers Federationof Australasia in Melbourne. Etienne Baulieu was the invitedkeynote speaker and with the exception of the critical voiceof one of us (LD) all speakers hailed RU 486 as a majormedical breakthrough which was being unfairly withheldfrom Australian women. However, a spokesperson fromRoussel Uclaf-Australia (Sydney) repeated that they had notyet submitted an application to the Federal Department ofHealth. Similarly with New Zealand, Roussel Uclaf said theywere not open to invitation (Coney, 1990a: 11).Predictably, Australian anti-abortion groups protestedpromotion of RU 486/PG. ‘This drug kills unborn babies’said Margaret Tighe, Chairman [sic] of Right to Life Australia.There are complications with the drug and they are frightenedthey might face litigation’ (Gillies, 1990). 10 Outside the rightwingperspective, the only criticism of chemical abortion washeard on TV and radio in Australia and New Zealand whereour non-aligned feminist perspective opened the debate. 11In 1989, RU 486 made the news again in France when, inorder to recoup its investment costs, Roussel Uclaf set theprice of RU 486 at FF517 (approx. US$100). This was atodds with the Ministry of Health’s decision that had fixedthe drug’s price at FF93.5 (approx. US$17) (Coles, 1989:6).16