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Whatever happened to the abortion pill RU486? (Original Post) question everything May 2019 OP
That's the commonly used "medical abortion" Freddie May 2019 #1
For the time being. KitSileya May 2019 #2
Methotrexate is usually effective for ectopic pregnancies. Crunchy Frog May 2019 #4
Methotrexate is the reason I had an abortion in 1977. sinkingfeeling May 2019 #7
mifepristone / misoprostol Sgent May 2019 #6
The arthritis drug Arthrotec has an effective coating of misoprostol. roamer65 May 2019 #3
The combined pill is out Sgent May 2019 #5

Freddie

(9,231 posts)
1. That's the commonly used "medical abortion"
Sat May 18, 2019, 11:32 PM
May 2019

Actually 2 different meds taken at different times. This is something that COULD be a matter of picking it up at your local CVS, but of course the anti-choicers made sure that a woman has to jump through the exact same hoops for this as she does for a surgical procedure.

KitSileya

(4,035 posts)
2. For the time being.
Sat May 18, 2019, 11:35 PM
May 2019

Unfortunately, it does nothing for those who discover they are pregnant too late, (someone with PCOS, for example, may have incredibly irregular periods, and the condition is often a cause of obesity, so ...) or where a wanted pregnancy has to be terminated due to fetal abnormalities or helath issues like cancer. I am uncertain whether it works on ectopic pregnancies which under the new laws will only be aborted when the pregnant person is at death's door. It will significantly reduce their fertility because the new laws insist that an ectopic pregnancy only be aborted once one ovary is destroyed, because is the bleeding from said destruction that is fatal unless treated.

Most importantly of all, RU486 only works effectively if you're under 175lbs. The average weight of women in the US is 170lbs.

Crunchy Frog

(26,548 posts)
4. Methotrexate is usually effective for ectopic pregnancies.
Sun May 19, 2019, 12:34 AM
May 2019

I forsee the development of a large black market for these drugs in those states.

sinkingfeeling

(51,274 posts)
7. Methotrexate is the reason I had an abortion in 1977.
Sun May 19, 2019, 08:37 AM
May 2019

I have had psoriasis since age 10 and was given methotrexate to clear my skin in the 1970s. It's a powerful drug and I was told not to get pregnant due to the chances of miscarriage or severe birth defects. Well, that all powerful gawd thought it would be funny for my birth control to fail and I became pregnant.

I had a legal abortion when I was around 6 weeks. I have never had a single regret.

Sgent

(5,857 posts)
6. mifepristone / misoprostol
Sun May 19, 2019, 01:42 AM
May 2019

has no contraindication due to weight that I've found in the literature. Plan B / The morning after pill does but its a different medication.

https://www.rxlist.com/mifeprex-ru486-drug.htm#indications

Sgent

(5,857 posts)
5. The combined pill is out
Sun May 19, 2019, 01:33 AM
May 2019

and widely used. In most US states however it can only be used at an abortion facility (not your family doctor's). In addition it has a 5-10% failure rate which then requires a D&C.

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