Abortion Pill Used in a Quarter of US Abortions & Made Safer

[steven johnson]

The abortion pill accounts for 25 percent of US early term abortions and this study shows drugs made it safer.

Roughly a fourth of American women getting early abortions last year did so with drugs rather than surgery, statistics show, as a new study reported improved safety in using the so-called "abortion pill."
Roughly a fourth of American women getting early abortions last year did so with drugs rather than... (Bill Grenblatt/Liaison/Getty Images)
Some experts predict the percentage of such "medical abortions," which offer more privacy than surgical termination at an abortion clinic or hospital, will rise even more due to the new study.
The research, done at Planned Parenthood clinics across the country, shows that a new way of giving pills to induce abortion virtually eliminated the risk for a rare but dangerous infection.
"This is the first really huge documentation of how safe and effective medical abortion is," said Dr. Beverly Winikoff, a professor of family health and population at Columbia University. "The technology is very good and very well used in this country, and probably will be used more and more."



Abortion Pill Used in a Quarter of US Abortions

[uppityperson]

1. Very interesting, thank you for the article. k&r

[salvorhardin]

2. Thanks for posting

I had no idea the percentage was so high. This is good news. And check out this paragraph from the article:

The group's study analyzed medical abortions at Planned Parenthood centers between 2005 and mid-2008 — about 228,000 cases. It found the abortion pill was about 98.5 percent effective and that changes in how the drugs were given reduced risk of a serious infection from barely 1 in 1,000 cases to 0.06 in 1,000.

98.5% effective and only a 6 in 10,000 risk of serious infection. That's phenomenal for any medical treatment.

Recommended.

[pleah]

3. K&R Thanks for posting this.n/t

[progressoid]

4. K/R

[lk9550]

5. Interesting

Good read.