It was September 1996 when the government decided that the French abortion pill RU-486 was safe and effective for women in the United States. Then the target date was pushed back to 1998. Then to 1999. The drug's failure to reach American women can be traced in part to the tenacity of anti-abortion forces, who have scared off drug manufacturers wary of protests and boycotts. And for most pharmaceutical companies, the answer is no.
Abortion opponents show no intention of letting up.
We don't want abortions to be around at all. The abortion pill, known chemically as mifepristone, has been available in France since 1988. It is 95.5 percent effective in causing abortion when taken within the first 49 days of pregnancy. According to the FDA, adverse effects can include painful contractions of the uterus, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pelvic pain and spasm, and headaches. A small percentage of patients tested required hospitalization, surgical treatment and blood transfusions.