RU-486

Analytical Essay # 54183

Hot Topics > Abortion
Medical and Health

RU-486

A discussion of whether RU-486 can be considered the abortion of the future.

1,231 words () | 7 sources | MLA | 2004 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the number of pregnancies among teenagers increases every year and how statistics show that about every 7 out of 10 pregnant teenagers have abortions. In particular, it looks at how one of the new forms of abortion being used is RU-486, which is known as the abortion pill. RU-486 is a steroid that is similar to natural progesterone. It also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of other methods of abortion apart from the pill and explores how the medical abortion offers a new perspective on the future of abortion.

From the Paper:

"The only way to take RU-486 is within the first seven weeks of pregnancy. The first dose is usually given at the abortion clinic or the doctor's office. It is a pill form of mifepristone. Then, forty-eight hours later, you take another tablet called misoprostol. The third step is to go back to the doctor. The reason to go back is to make sure the abortion followed through. About 50% of women start the abortion within the same day they take the first pill. (Ulmann) The first pill is to start the breaking down the lining of the uterus, which ends the pregnancy. The second pill is to cause the uterus to contract, and empty out. The whole process can take anywhere from one to two weeks. For a lot of women, as they experience the abortion taking place, it feels like a miscarriage."