Pro-Lifers Cite Need to Pull RU 486 From Market, Review Drug's Approval Process
by Mary Rettig and Bill Fancher
March 24, 2006
(AgapePress) - - The associate executive director of a Christian medical association says it's saddening that two more women have died apparently as a result of using the abortion drug RU 486. He says more women should not have to die to prove it is a dangerous drug. Meanwhile, a national pro-life group believes the White House and the FDA should be held accountable for the two deaths. Dr. Gene Rudd with the Christian Medical & Dental Associations says the fact that these two women died is made even more sad because the deaths were not only predictable, but also avoidable. He says there were other deaths linked to RU 486 in California last year that were caused by a common bacteria.
"Now there's no reason to believe that this should be geographically confined to California," says Rudd, adding that there is good evidence supporting the argument that there likely is a serious under-reporting problem of complications stemming from the drug's use.
"Reporting of drug complications in this country is not terrible, but it's not excellent either," he asserts. "Then you add to that the ... abortion industry, which has reason to want to keep this a secret, and we result in having a lot of these cases going unreported."
Rudd says members of the CMDA say they have seen these cases of complications in women using RU 486, but that they have no idea of knowing whether they get reported to the Food and Drug Administration. He asserts that the public only hears about the deaths from the drug -- but all the other complications from using RU 486 are either hidden or not reported at all.
Those complications have convinced Rudd that the most recent report of two women dying from infections after using the controversial abortion drug is proof that more should have been done by the FDA to test the drug.
"The safety studies that were done to approve this were not adequate," the CMDA spokesman claims. "They weren't done adequately on young women, they weren't done in a good controlled design study to start with. So we asked the government to take the drug off the market."
According to Rudd, the federal government is still considering his group's petition. "But now with these deaths occurring and with the lack of adequate safety studies to start with, there's just all the good reasons in the world to take this drug off the market," he states.
Planned Parenthood reports that more than half a million women have used RU 486, but Rudd says that is only the denominator of the equation. He says the public would likely be shocked by the true, harmful impact of the abortion drug.
ALL: FDA Needs to Be Held Accountable
Judie Brown is shocked -- because nothing is being done. In fact, the long-time defender of the unborn says she is livid at the inaction of the Bush administration and the FDA after the two latest deaths attributed to RU 486. The American Life League president says the fact that seven deaths were caused by the drug apparently has not gotten through to lawmakers in the nation's capital about the danger posed by the drug.
"So far we have not heard one word from the White House," Brown shares. "We haven't heard one word from a member of Congress -- and I think it's totally disgusting."
Brown has a suggestion. "I think the Food and Drug Administration will get the message when the President of the United States decides that his war on terror has to start right here at home, and he calls the [FDA] to account for the deaths of these women," she says.
The ALL spokeswoman also suggests that opponents of abortion work together and let their voices be heard on Capitol Hill. "We have to join together and pressure the White House to call the Food and Drug Administration to account for their irresponsible behavior, not only with RU 486 but with all these chemicals that kill babies and obviously kill mothers," she states.
Another pro-life group, National Right to Life, claims there have been more than 800 confirmed injuries and complications associated with the taking of RU 486. Brown says she would like to see Congress call for an investigation into the approval process of the abortion drug.
Mary Rettig and Bill Fancher, regular contributors to AgapePress, are reporters for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
