Its creator seeks to educate its viewers about the abortion pill, RU 486. It is not meant to advocate or protest the use of this drug. Overview Previously, if a woman choses to have an abortion, she always had to undergo a surgical procedure. However, a new French medication called RU 486 is now being used to bring about abortion in very early pregnancies. Because it stops the gestation of an early pregnancy, RU 486 has been called an abortion pill.
Mifepristone is a steroid hormone similar in structure to the natural hormone progesterone.
Early trials found that RU 486, when taken alone, acted very slowly and had a significant failure rate. In order to improve its effectiveness, Roussel's investigators began to combine RU 486 with a follow-up dose of prostaglandin. RU 486's name comes from Roussel-Uclaf's initials plus a serial number. In a woman's body, the natural hormone known as progesterone is essential for establishing and maintaining a pregnancy. RU 486 chemically induce abortions in women who are five to nine weeks pregnant.