Is The RU-486 Abortion Pill Linked To Dangerous Infections?

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Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology;  Pregnancy / Obstetrics;  MRSA / Drug Resistance
Article Date: 12 May 2006 - 9:00 PDT

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At least five women in the USA and Canada have died as a result of Clostridium sordellii infections after taking the RU-486 abortion drug. It is thought another woman also died in the same way.

In a meeting yesterday, scientists were unable to agree whether RU-486 (Mifeprex or Mifepristone) was the cause of these infections and the subsequent deaths. While one asked that the pill be scrapped, others said it was too early to really know.

Pro-life and anti-abortion groups said the pill should be taken off the market, saying that it is killing healthy women and causing adverse events in hundreds of others.

Four Californian women and one Canadian woman took RU-486 in combination with Misoprostol and later died of Clostridium sordellii infection.

Some scientists wonder whether RU-486 may be weakening the patient's immune system, allowing certain bacteria, which are already present in the vaginal canal, to enter other parts of the body.

1 in every 80,000 women who have a medical abortion die. 1 in every 1,000,000 women who have a surgical abortion die.

(Medical Abortion = There is no surgery. The patient just takes pills.
Surgical Abortion = The surgeon takes the fetus/embryo out)

Some scientists question whether RU-486 weakens a woman's immune system. If it did, they say, why have the infections just been with Clostridium sordellii? Perhaps the Misoprostol, which is taken in combination with RU-486, is causing the infection. Misoprostol triggers contractions which help the mother expel the fetus. Perhaps the contractions themselves are sucking the Clostridium sordellii into her uterus.

Deaths from Clostridium sordellii infection also happen after a normal birth.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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