DRs Not Prescribing Abortion Pill

WASHINGTON, DC-Surrounded by controversy years before becoming legal in the US one year ago, RU-486 was designed as a non-surgical abortion option. However, a new survey from the nonprofit Kasier Family Foundation reports 6% of American gynecologists are providing the prescription.

While Planned Parenthood clinics and abortions clinics nationally offer the medication, many surveyed gynecologists say they do not offer the pill, known as mifepristone, or Mifeprex, because they personally oppose abortion. The pill is prescribed by only a small percentage of the 27% of the gynecologists who perform surgical abortions.

A different Kaiser survey showed also that women are not informed about the option. Of 1,000 women surveyed, 42% thought RU-486 was the "morning-after pill." The morning-after pill is actually a high dose of birth control pills taken the morning after an unprotected sexual encounter. This prescription is not considered abortion because the sperm is kept from fertilizing the egg. The morning-after pill can be taken up to 72 hours after having unprotected sex.

RU-486 is for women who want to end a pregnancy without surgery. The pill can be taken up to seven weeks after the beginning of the last menstrual period.

Information from www.latimes.com