Ru 486 Misconceptions Myths and Morals - ressourcesfeministes

The Role of Prostaglandins: Known and Unknown DangersRU 486. We would contend, of course, that there simplywould not be any PG requirement, were RU 486 the ‘miraclepill’ its supporters proclaim.RU 486 advocates have capitalized on the inequitablestandards operative in the management of women’sreproductive health, to have women believe that ‘RU 486and a small dose of prostaglandin’ is a superior, safe and effectivealternative to conventional abortion methods. The intentionin the following section is to increase readers’ perception ofthe importance of naturally-occurring PGs in reproductivehealth, with a view to establishing an ‘informed’ resistanceto the continuing abuse of women’s bodies in pregnancyrelatedprocedures.The Role and Application of Prostaglandins inObstetrics and GynecologyPGs were initially discovered in human semen, where theyare probably regulated by progesterone to influence spermand egg transport. PGE levels within seminal fluid may beimportant in male fertility, and, due to theirimmunosuppressive properties, may act to protect the spermcomponent of the fertilized ovum from immune attack thatwould result in its destruction at or before the time of itsuterine implantation.Contrary to their limited influence on male reproduction,PGs play a pivotal role in the regulation of women’sreproductive biology. Abnormalities in natural PGproduction are associated with a number of gynecologicaland obstetrical disorders, including primary dysmenorrhea(menstrual cramps). Events which are PG dependent arecervical softening in the final stages of pregnancy, and(independent of pregnancy) uterine contractions, the initiationof ovarian follicular growth and rupture, egg cell maturation,and corpus luteum formation and rupture. Though ovarianprocesses are chiefly regulated by hormones, the hormoneeffects are probably modulated by PGs. 387