Chemical abortions have been endorsed by the pro-choice movement for quite some time now, but not until the past few months, when the world has been in the midst of a pandemic, has it been pushed so aggressively by pro-choice advocates. Chemical abortion, commonly known as RU-486, has been misnamed as a contraceptive, or a method to prevent pregnancy. This has been proven wrong. RU-486 is actually an abortifacient used at 5-7 weeks when the baby has long since been conceived and already has a beating heart.
RU-486 is a pill that a woman can take up to 9 weeks into pregnancy. The pill works by stripping the uterine lining of progesterone, the hormone used to give the baby a soft and comfortable place to grow and food to be nourished with. Without this lining of progesterone, the uterus is hard and the baby has no comfortable place to grow and starves to death.
One particularly alarming myth about RU-486 is that it is quick or painless. In reality, the pill can take days or weeks to work and it is a very painful process. RU-486 initiates contractions that cause the woman to extract her child. These contractions can be very intense and painful and often involve large amounts of bleeding.
So why now? Why has society used the last few months to push the use of RU-486 to women? The answer is obvious: the pro-choicers want abortions to continue during this pandemic, but they are constantly getting pushback for keeping Planned Parenthood’s open for abortion procedures. In a meeting from Personal PAC, a telecom town hall meeting for the richest pro-choice organization in Illinois, the pro-choice advocates have much to say.
“I think it is very important for us to not loose focus on this [abortion] during the Covid Pandemic,” explains Eileen, one of the senators. “I’m hearing reports that there are some hospitals out there that are deeming them [abortions] non-essential.” she nervously adds. Because of this, Personal PAC is trying to especially push the RU-486 pill. Andi, director of reproductive health, elaborates on what they will try to do, specifically in terms of the RU-486 pill. “While in normal times you would want everyone to get the kind of abortion they want, in this circumstance of COVID there is a safe and effective way to get an abortion in your home, safe, with your loved ones supporting you.”
She goes on to explain the FDA’s views on this. “In terms of the FDA, just briefly, this form of abortion was approved by the FDA… [but] cannot be picked up in the pharmacy… you cannot get them in a pharmacy where you would get the other prescriptions.” She says that so many people want these restrictions removed, especially during this time. “It’s clear… a whole host of medical organizations have come out to say that these restrictions need to be removed…since the coronavirus… urging the FDA to make an emergency removal of these restrictions.”
These comments made by Personal PAC, though maybe not surprising for many pro-lifers, are very concerning. RU-486 is just as wrong and dangerous as a medical abortion, though maybe in different ways, and should never be considered “normal” or “just another contraceptive.” This time of global pandemic is a new way of living and navigating everyday life for us all, and we need to continue to promote the beauty of life and the harms of abortion like we have before.