FREE ESSAY ON ABORTION PILL

ABORTION PILL

1. Problem Statement
Approval of the abortion pill RU-486, also recognized as mifepristone, has put abortion
back into the spotlight. This has stirred up controversial issues of reproductive rights
in America, and a growing concern for the potential impact of RU-486 on the well being of
our society's morals and values. 
2. Facts and Analysis
A Brief History 
Mifepristone, formerly known as RU-486, provides women with a medical alternative to
surgical abortion. Mifepristone is an antiprogesterone drug that blocks receptors of
progesterone, a key hormone in the establishment and maintenance of human pregnancy.
Mifepristone induces spontaneous abortion when administered in early pregnancy and
followed by a dose of misoprostol, a prostaglandin. 
Researchers have discovered many potential uses for mifepristone beyond pregnancy
termination. Uses include treatment of breast cancer, Cushing's syndrome, endometriosis,
glaucoma, meningioma, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, uterine fibroids, and the
induction of labor. In very low doses, mifepristone may even be used to prevent pregnancy
as a method of emergency contraception within. In higher doses, of course, it can be used
to terminate pregnancy. Other existing emergency contraception cannot be used to
terminate pregnancy because they are not abortifacients. 
Mifepristone offers women another choice for abortion. It causes a miscarriage and can be
used earlier than surgical abortion. Medical abortion is totally non-invasive, meaning
there's no surgery, and no anesthesia is necessary. 
Like everything in life, there are some down sides to the use of RU-486. One can assume
that it will make abortion easier and more available for a lot of women. However,
mifepristone doesn't get rid of all of the discomfort that can go along with an abortion.
Similar to a miscarriage, it can cause side effects including nausea, vomiting, bleeding,
and heavy cramping. If the pills don't work, a surgical abortion will be necessary. 
Unintentional pregnancies statistically bring a host of economic, emotional, and physical
ills to mother and baby. About half of the unintended pregnancies in Washington State are
aborted, according to the state Department of Health. That rate is consistent with the
rest of the US. Even though there is a demand for abortion providers, many doctors have
remained fearful of protestors and violence by antiabortion activists who target abortion
providers. Doctors do not want to be subject to violence against themselves, their staff,
and even their families to the actions of anti-choice people. A few physicians have
already been killed in this country over abortion, giving many potential providers reason
to be concerned.
Today, there aren't enough providers in the US who offer abortion services to them women
who need/desire them. Women who have chosen to have an abortion have, at times, been
faced with harassment and intimidation from picketers. Physicians who provide abortion
services have worked in fear of assassination, arson, assault and sabotage from abortion
foes. It is possible that Mifepristone may assist in solving this shortage, since one may
assume that a lot more doctors would be willing to perform abortions medically than they
would surgically. The drug's availability through private doctors' offices might make it
much harder for antiabortion activists to target abortion providers, keeping all
individuals involved at a greater distance from danger.
Many individuals have speculated that when mifepristone becomes widely available, early
surgical abortion as practiced today will be chosen less frequently by eligible women.
Potential effects of such a change include the following: 
? More providers may be willing to offer the pharmacological regimen than currently offer
surgical abortion services. 
? The substitution of medical for surgical abortion may reflect a shift toward earlier
pregnancy termination. 
These points may be positive or negative, depending on one's attitude towards abortion as
a choice.
3. Possible Solutions
One viewpoint that an individual can have on the release of RU-486 is that it is another
form of legalized murder. Since RU-486 does, in fact, terminate a pregnancy, it is
understandable that some people will consider the pills no different from chemical murder
weapons. There is no denying that the pills destroy an unborn life. This is the first
drug approved by FDA that is intended to kill people, therefore, a solution would be to
outlaw the drug entirely.
Another possible viewpoint on the acceptance of RU-486 is that it will only fuel
anti-choice violence. It has been demonstrated in the past that any and all individuals
affiliated with the abortion procedure is subject to being put into danger. Since 1990,
over a thousand acts of violence against clinics have occurred. However, women who have
taken the pill have reported feeling more comfortable with the procedure and less
traumatized. Access to non-surgical abortions may make it much harder for anti-abortion
protesters to target abortion providers, in turn making the procedure safer for the
individuals involved. This observation leads us to a third viewpoint, that RU-486 may
make abortion safer for women.
Its possible that RU-486 may allow more privacy and give more women access to abortions
without the distressed picket lines and protestors. Women may be more comfortable with
the procedure and less traumatized, exactly the feelings the anti-abortionist want to
prevent. This outcome would be positive point for an individual with a pro-choice
attitude and a disastrous point for an individual with a pro-life attitude.
Last but not least, RU-486 may be seen as reinforcement of our belief in personal
freedom. Many Americans may view abortion as murder and may be comfortable with it being
illegal, but many Americans don't want to impose that on other people. This attitude is
similar to that of a live-and-let-live approach. Many Americans are in favor of letting
people make their won individual choices. This would not only include the decision to
have an abortion, but whether or not a woman chooses a surgical or non-surgical
procedure.
4. Recommended Strategy and Implementation
Safe and affordable contraception remains a key to family planning and preventative
health care. RU-486 may help abortion be a private decision between a woman and her
doctor, along with greater personal control over the process of terminating a pregnancy.

Medical abortion can offer the comfort of being at home for much of the process. Women
who have taken part in clinical trials of mifepristone in the US reported greatly
appreciating the privacy. But RU-486 shouldn't be handed out over the counter by any
pharmacy that desires to do so. RU-486 should be distributed only to doctors trained to
accurately diagnose the duration of pregnancy. Also, the doctors distributing RU-486
should be able to operate in case a surgical abortion is needed to finish the job.
The method of abortion using RU-486 should be subject to the same rules and regulations
as surgical abortion, and the individuals who believe abortion is wrong shouldn't have to
think it is no less wrong when the procedure is medical rather than surgical. 
5. Feedback and Evaluation
Factors that should be monitored and evaluated concerning this topic include safety,
effectiveness, and side effects including both physical and emotional. How is RU-486
going to affect the overall health of women? The cost is another concern. Who is going to
pay for the procedures? How will this cost effect to overall economy? What about the
emotional impact on society? We should definitely continue evaluating these questions.
The number of abortions that result in the approval of RU-486 shouldn't be our main
concern. If there is a reason to be concerned, it should be on the ethical and moral
issues that stem from the reproductive rights of women in America. Without question,
abortion is an extremely controversial issue in today's society. However, the different
attitudes of abortion activists are more important factors than that which involve the
actual abortion procedure. 
The focal issue of this paper is not to evaluate whether or not abortion should be legal,
but rather the question of RU-486 being legal - and readily available. If women have been
granted the choice to terminate a pregnancy, then RU-486 simply provides them with a
choice on the procedure they prefer to use. The approval of RU-486 will not vastly impact
the landscape of abortion in America. Though nearly every individual in America has a
personal opinion on abortion rights, abortion remains an issue between a woman, her
creator and her physician. As long as abortion is legal, women will now have RU-486 as an
option when making the choice that is best for them. 
Bibliography
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