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Abortion pill 'may be linked to infection'
Nature ^ | December 1, 2005

Posted on 12/01/2005 10:49:25 AM PST by Daralundy

Scientists have pinpointed the deadly bacterium responsible for the death of four US women who underwent abortion induced by prescription medications. Medical experts now warn that such procedures might carry a greater mortality risk than surgical abortions.

Women often opt to take the so-called 'abortion pill' mifepristone, which is approved for use in early pregnancy, for privacy reasons; they can receive it from a doctor without having to visit an abortion clinic. Some women taking the medication also say that drug-induced termination feels more natural than the prospect of a surgical procedure.

Although mifepristone first became available in Europe in 1988, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only approved the drug (also known as RU 486 and sold under the name Mifeprex) relatively recently, in September 2000. Since then the agency has strengthened the warning in the labelling of the drug to draw attention to the risk of complications associated with its use in terminating early pregnancies. This action was partly as a result of the four fatalities, which occurred from 2003 to 2005.

"These four cases show that there are risks of infections [associated with abortion medication], just as there is with surgical abortions," says Marc Fischer of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. He points out, however, that the risk seems to be linked to the overall procedure involving mifepristone, and not necessarily to the drug itself.

In this week's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine1, Fischer and his colleagues report that all four of the women who died succumbed to uterine infections caused by the bacterium Clostridium sordellii. This microbe caused fatal toxic shock syndrome in these women, along with one Canadian woman who had a similar abortion in 2001.

(Excerpt) Read more at nature.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: abortion; abortiondeaths; abortionpill; cdc; fda; mifepristone; ru486

1 posted on 12/01/2005 10:49:26 AM PST by Daralundy
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To: Daralundy

A few lawsuits will get their attention. And there were recently pharmacists who were "suspended" for refusing to fill prescriptions for the "morning-after pill".


2 posted on 12/01/2005 10:50:47 AM PST by mlc9852
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To: Daralundy; Petronski; fortunecookie

When MORE pregnant ladies start dying from septicemia then maybe they'll think releasing this drug is a bad idea.


3 posted on 12/01/2005 11:23:25 AM PST by cyborg (I'm on the 24 plan having the best day ever.)
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To: Daralundy

"Some women taking the medication also say that drug-induced termination feels more natural than the prospect of a surgical procedure. "

See how they justify killing a baby as "more natural" this way. I feel no sympathy for the women who loose their lives trying to destroy the life of a baby. Just heartless I guess.


4 posted on 12/01/2005 11:29:22 AM PST by heylady
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To: Daralundy

Some women taking the medication also say that drug-induced termination feels more natural than the prospect of a surgical procedure.

God fobid it should be uncomfortable for a woman to kill her child / (sarc)


5 posted on 12/01/2005 11:59:38 AM PST by Mom MD
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To: Daralundy; Coleus

bump & a ping


6 posted on 12/01/2005 8:33:14 PM PST by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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To: cyborg
When MORE pregnant ladies start dying from septicemia then maybe they'll think releasing this drug is a bad idea.

Or they'll lobby for more 'funding' to 'save lives' and research what cocktail of drugs can be administered to stave off the infections. Gag.

7 posted on 12/06/2005 7:37:05 PM PST by fortunecookie
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To: fortunecookie

YES


8 posted on 12/06/2005 7:37:59 PM PST by cyborg (I'm on the 24 plan having the best day ever.)
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To: fortunecookie; cyborg
Or they'll lobby for more 'funding' to 'save lives' and research what cocktail of drugs can be administered to stave off the infections. Gag.

It must be late, that didn't come out right! I don't mean to imply that medicines shouldn't be given in the event of septicemia, but that they 'medical' community will ignore the dangers, regardless of how many develop the septicemia, just to keep this 'important' drug available, even if it does sacrifice (additional!) lives. They just don't care as long as the ladies keep having the abortions.

9 posted on 12/06/2005 8:09:20 PM PST by fortunecookie
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