Ru 486 Misconceptions Myths and Morals - ressourcesfeministes

RU 486Some recent evidence suggests that RU 486 acts directly onthe ovary at the receptor level (Schreiber et al., 1983; DiMattina et al., 1987), and impairs folliculogenesis. In someclinical trials, this manifests as a marked decline in E2(estradiol) levels (Shoupe et al., 1987; Stuenkel et al., 1990).In turn this delays—or inhibits—ovulation. A group of Finnishresearchers posit that this characteristic of RU 486 is reversible.They also state that a subsequently administered syntheticprogestin (e.g. NET, Primolut N) may lead to an estrogenfreeoral contraceptive (Luukkainen et al., 1988; Kekkonenet al., 1990). Despite the fact that one of these studies—theLuukkainen et al. experiment—was restricted to eight women,and only two women had cycles without ovulation, thesefindings were picked up by the US Ob. Gyn. News under theheadline ‘RU 486 and Progestin Combination Could YieldEstrogen Free-OC [oral contraceptive]’ (1989:38).In a later 1990 experiment with seven women, the sameresearchers noted, with surprise, some follicular growthduring RU 486 administration (Kekkonen et al., 1990). 17Earlier trial findings by van Santen and Haspels in Holland(1987) showed that disturbances in a woman’s cycle resultedfrom an egg of a delayed ovulation which later matured andinfact was fertilized ‘inadvertently’. These two experimentsmake clear that the hailing of RU 486 as a new ‘breakthroughin contraception’ is thus far without foundation.There is no evidence in the Luukkainen et al. study thatthey followed up on women’s subsequent menstrual cycles.They state that, ‘After termination of the RU 486 treatment,follicular development and luteinization occurred similarlyas during the control cycle in the majority of women’ (1988:963).With eight women in their study, what was the majority ofwomen and what happened to the others? If additionallyRU 486 exerts a direct inhibitory intraovarian action bysuppressing ovarian steroidogenesis [the production ofestrogen (estradiol) and progesterone], the question must be74