Ru 486 Misconceptions Myths and Morals - ressourcesfeministes

RU 486with sperm, part of the early embryo called the trophoblast(which evolves into the placenta), will begin to release hCG.This in turn prompts the corpus luteum to continue theprogesterone and estrogen production needed to establishand maintain a pregnancy.Because RU 486 is described as an anti-progesterone, acloser look at progesterone is warranted. Progesterone is asteroid hormone secreted by the corpeus luteum, the adrenalglands and, in the case of an established pregnancy, theplacenta. It acts on the lining of the uterus, the myometrium(smooth muscle of the uterus), the cervix, as well as thefallopian tubes, the vagina, the ovaries, the breasts andimportantly, the hypothalamus. According to Etienne Baulieu,the function of progesterone in these latter organs ‘is notwell understood’ (1989b: 1351). An editorial in the NewEngland Journal of Medicine, discussing ‘ProgesteroneAntagonism’ related to RU 486 puts it even more strongly:‘Progesterone’s influence on the central nervous system ispoorly understood, but the hormone appears to have diverseeffects on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, respiratory centre,and perhaps cortical function’ (Crowley, 1986:1607; ouremphasis). Progesterone has a thermogenic effect leading toan increase in body temperature. All of these functions,Crowley notes, are not well researched.Progesterone is also involved in follicle development(perhaps directly affecting the follicle), and in the process ofovulation. However, in Baulieu’s words: ‘Folliculogenesisdepends in part on intraovarian progesterone… The controlof ovulation is poorly understood in the human’ (1989b:1351).In ‘non-pregnantwomen’ (or ‘normal’ women as Baulieucalls them to distinguish them from ‘pregnant’ women; 1988a:5), progesterone is the main product of the corpus luteum. Itis, Crowley states ‘…itself a curious endocrine organ, whichis programmed for demise within a fortnight unless it is‘rescued’ from this fate by a fertilized ovum’ (1986:1607). 158