Ru 486 Misconceptions Myths and Morals - ressourcesfeministes

RU 486literature. Right-to-Lifers are not so laid back. For example,Nuala Scarisbrick, administrator of Life, the British antiabortionorganization, said she was ‘very amused that theresearchers were coming clean about the dangers of abortion’in singing the praises of RU 486 over the regular surgicalabortion procedure (Sunday Times, 30 October 1988). Such amisrepresentation of risks, when used by the promoters ofRU 486/PG abortions in comparison to those of conventionalterminations, can only aid and abet the anti-abortionmovement.The ‘dangers of surgical abortion’ strategy used by thepro-RU 486/PG lobby and literature deserves comment onother grounds as well. In the brief comparisons that havebeen made between chemical and conventional methods ofabortion in the medical literature, proponents of RU 486/PG maintain that it avoids the risks of surgery andanaesthesia; is 95 per cent effective; requires little medicalintervention; has few and minimal complications; and resultsin a small percentage of incomplete abortions (numbers varyin different various studies from five to 40 per cent dependingon treatment regimens). They minimize the duration ofbleeding (one to 44 days) which in a substantial percentageof women has been moderate (67%) to severe (23%); theoccurrence of nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, andfatigue frequently dismissed as pregnancy-related; thedecrease in blood pressure; and the often strong uterine painwhich regularly requires narcotic and injectable analgesics.The overall impression conveyed in these briefcomparisons is that the monolithic ‘surgical’ abortion isindeed dangerous and complicated. However, conventionalabortions, as we have noted, do not largely involve surgicalmethods and general anaesthesia; are 99 per cent effective;require two medical visits as opposed to three or four forchemical abortions; have fewer contraindications and fewerand more minimal complications, result in fewer than oneper cent incomplete abortions, and can be performed over a50