Ru 486 Misconceptions Myths and Morals - ressourcesfeministes

Claims for RU 486/PG Abortionfrom April 1990 and confirmed by the April 1991 Frenchwoman’s death blamed on cardiovascular complicationscaused by ‘heavy smoking’.Increasingly, there are more and more contraindicationsadded to the list Obesity is now identified as an additionalfactor detracting from the RU 486/PG success rates (Vervestand Haspels, 1985:627; Cameron and Baird, 1986:273;WHO Trial, 1989a: 722; Grimes et al., 1990:913). Moreconditions will certainly be added in the future, restrictingRU 486/PG to a further diminished population of women.ComplicationsIn a comprehensive review of medical journal articles, weexamined and analyzed complications of chemical abortions.These articles covered a span of seven years (1984–90),and included the most well-known as well as some of thelesser known research. Because these studies have differentcriteria for measuring success, efficacy, and complications,and because they often use different protocols within the samestudy, it is difficult to ascertain patterns and an agreed-uponsystem of evaluation.The difficulty starts with the definition of age of pregnancy.Most researchers would agree that RU 486, when used alone,or when used in combination with prostaglandins, worksbest when the pregnancy is less than 42–49 days. There is adisparity in how the 42–49 days figure is arrived at, sincesome researchers count from the first day of the last menstrualperiod (Swahn and Bygdeman, 1989); some are not specific,merely stating 42–49 days since the last menstrual period(Somell and Ölund, 1990; and Grimes et al., 1988); and somecount from the expected onset of the last missed menstrualperiod, in which case there are only approximately 14–21days when RU 486/PG is operational (see Couzinet et al.,1986). Since timing is critical to an RU 486/PG abortion,the exact age of pregnancy is crucial.There is, however, at least one study that maintains that37