Valerie
Platinum Member
- Sep 17, 2008
- 31,521
- 7,388
- 1,170
RU486 Abortion Pill - Definition of RU486Definition: RU486 (brand name Mifeprex) has been widely, effectively and safely used in France, Sweden and Great Britain for years, and RU486 is also FDA-approved to be used in the United States. The abortion pill (considered a medical abortion) must be provided by a healthcare professional.
RU486 contains the synthetic steroid mifepristone that interferes with the action of the body's progesterone (the hormone that builds up the uterine lining to prepare for pregnancy). A medical abortion typically consists of the use of two medications: RU486 (mifepristone), which causes a fertilized egg to not remain attached to the lining of the uterus, and misoprostol, which causes uterine contractions. The abortion pill is FDA-approved for women up to 7 weeks pregnant (5 weeks since conception) or up to 49 days after one's last menstrual period. RU486 helps to terminate a pregnancy (allowing a woman to completely pass the pregnancy) without surgery and is 92 to 98% effective when used in combination with misoprostol. When Mifepristone is used alone, it is only 64 to 85% effective. Although some healthcare providers will still use this method for women who are more than 7 weeks pregnant, use at this time is considered off-label (meaning, no longer FDA approved).