CITIZENS NEWS

RU-486, often marketed as a safer alternative to surgical abortion procedures, often uses a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone blocks the progesterone to weaken the uterine lining and kill the baby inside. After 24 to 48 hours, it would be easier for misoprostol to cause contractions and bleeding to push the dead baby out of the uterus. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion organization, mifepristone was used in more than half of all abortions in the United States. In 2020, it accounted for 53 percent of all abortions, up from 39 percent in 2017. (Related: Susan Swift: About 98% of abortions in America are just for convenience.) However, other pro-abortion rights groups do not recommend these drugs for abortion. Authors of the book "RU486: Misconceptions, Myths and Morals," describe it as an "unsafe, second-rate abortion method with significant problems" and view it as a form of medical violence against women. A blog published by the Campaign Life Coalition, a national pro-life advocacy group, revealed that at least 14 women in the U.S. have died after taking the drug. Also, more than 2,000 adverse effects, over 600 hospitalizations and at least 300 cases of blood loss requiring transfusion have been reported in relation to RU486 use. Experts also believe that they represent only a fraction of the actual number of cases. Furthermore, the abortion pill lets harmful vaginal bacteria called Clostridium sordellii get into the cervix and then the bloodstream. At the same time, it weakens the ability of the body to fight off the infection. What's even scarier is that it doesn't always show typical signs like fever or pain, so women can't get help in time and are more likely to die from a serious condition called sepsis.