Washington Post Examines Medication Abortion In U.S.

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 23 Jan 2008 - 12:00 PDT

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The Washington Post on Tuesday, the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, examined how medication abortion -- also known mifepristone, Mifeprex or RU-486 -- has become an "increasingly common alternative" to surgical abortion in the U.S. and has made the procedure "less clinical and more private."

The number of medication abortions in the U.S. has increased 22% annually since mifepristone was approved by FDA in 2000. The procedure now accounts for 14% of all abortions performed nationwide and more than 20% of abortions performed prior to nine weeks' gestation, the Post reports. According to Danco Laboratories, which sells the drug, more than 840,000 U.S. women have used mifepristone since it was approved.

Approval of mifepristone also has helped "slow the decline in abortion providers" because some physicians who previously did not provide surgical abortions will prescribe the drug, the Post reports. The number of abortion providers fell by 2% from 1994 to 2005 but would have decreased by 8% without mifepristone, according to the Guttmacher Institute. More than 50% of abortion providers offer mifepristone, a 70% increase from the first half of 2001, according to Guttmacher. Some abortion providers report that mifepristone accounts for 10% of all abortions they perform, while for others it constitutes a much greater percentage of abortions they perform. Lawrence Finer, director of domestic research at Guttmacher, said he believes that the percentage of U.S. medication abortions will continue to increase, noting that more than 60% of abortions in some European countries are performed using medication.

According to the Post, the increase in mifepristone use is "alarming" to some abortion-rights opponents. Randall O'Bannon of the National Right to Life Committee said the increase "troubles" him and cited reports of women who used the drug and later died. "The idea that doctors are beginning to offer something that has a record of causing some serious problems is very troubling," O'Bannon said.

According to the Post, abortion-rights supporters say that the drug is safe and that it is unclear whether the complications were related to the drug. Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation, said mifepristone "gives women another safe and effective way to terminate a pregnancy." Beth Jordan, medical director of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, said that the "impact and the promise" of mifepristone "is huge," adding, "It's going a long way towards normalizing abortion" (Stein, Washington Post, 1/22).

Newspapers Cover Roe Anniversary

Several newspapers recently published articles in recognition of the 35th anniversary of Roe on Tuesday. Headlines appear below.

• "Statehouse Protest Targets Abortion, Euthanasia" (Gram, AP/Boston Globe, 1/19).
  
  
• "Faces of Abortion" (Crary, AP/Orangeburg Times Democrat, 1/22).
  
  
• "Southside Rally, March Protest '73 Abortion Law" (Williams, Birmingham News, 1/20).
  
  
• "Dallas Crowd Calls for End to Roe v. Wade as Anniversary Nears" (Cantu, Dallas Morning News, 1/21).
  
  
• "Abortion Opponents Find Reasons To Cheer on 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade" (Carroll, Kansas City Star, 1/21).
  
  
• "Antiabortion Cause Stirs New Generation" (Simon, Los Angeles Times, 1/22).
  
  
• "Abortion-Rights Supporters, Opponents Mark 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade" (Mannies, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/18).
  
  
• "Students Weigh In on 35 Years of Roe v. Wade" (Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1/22).
  
  
• "Movement Gets a Youthful Infusion; New Generation of Activists Is Assembling Across College Campuses" (Constable, Washington Post, 1/21).
  
  
• "Two Sides Tout Favorable Trend on Roe" (Wetzstein, Washington Times, 1/21).

Broadcast Coverage

Three broadcast programs reported on issues related to the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Summaries appear below.

• C-SPAN's "America and the Courts": The program on Saturday featured oral arguments from Roe v. Wade ("America and the Courts," C-SPAN, 1/19). Video of the segment is available online.
  
  
• NPR's "Morning Edition": The program on Tuesday reported on states' efforts to pass human life amendments. The segment includes comments from Georgia state Rep. Melvin Everson (R); Daniel Becker, president of Georgia Right to Life; Emily Ailts, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado; and Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights (Lohr, "Morning Edition," NPR, 1/22). Audio of the segment is available online.
  
  
• NPR's "Tell Me More": The program on Friday included a discussion with Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, about the anniversary (Martin, "Tell Me More," NPR, 1/18). Audio of the segment is available online.

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