Why did the FDA approve RU-486?
¨ In U.S. trials, about half (49%) of the participating women aborted during the four hours they spent waiting in the doctors office following the administration of the pill. ¨ An additional 26% aborted sometime over the next 20 hours. ¨ The remaining percentage of women who aborted did so at some point during the following two weeks. ¨ Between 8% and 23% never completely aborted or did not abort at all using the drugs. ¨ Acting alone, RU-486 is able to induce abortion only between 64% and 85% of the time, a rate abortifacient researchers consider inadequate for general clinical use. This is why a prostaglandin, Cyotec or misoprostol, is given to the woman to induce uterine contractions to expel the corpse of the infant.
