In a landmark announcement yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration announced its approval of the abortion-inducing drug, mifepristone (RU-486), making it the first alternative to surgical abortions in the United States. The drug will be available in a month.

Mifepristone will be sold directly to doctors, and can be administered by them or other health care workers under their supervision. The FDA set several restrictions on its prescription, requiring that doctors determine the length of the woman's pregnancy, and that she has access to surgical abortion should the drug fail. Mifepristone can only be used for up to seven weeks after a woman's last menstrual period. Women opting for mifepristone must read material regarding its indications, side effects, and use, and they and their doctor must sign a statement saying that they have read the material and will follow the instructions exactly. Signing the agreement also means the women agree to have surgical abortions in the event the drug fails.

RU-486 was developed in France 20 years ago, and has been available to European women for more than a decade. However, approval of the drug in the United States has been met with much resistance. President Bill Clinton first asked federal regulators in 1993 to evaluate the drug and to determine whether it should be available for American women. Since then, numerous obstacles have prevented the approval, even though in 1996 the FDA announced that mifepristone was safe and effective. Its approval is a milestone in the battle over abortion rights, as it makes abortion more accessible and private. Women will be able to go to the private clinics of doctors such as family practitioners, gynecologists, and obstetricians to have the pills administered.

The accessibility and privacy of mifepristone abortions gives women more power in choosing what is best for them. The New York Times reported that women who had mifepristone abortions feel that they were in charge and in control of their situation, and that they preferred this type of abortion because it felt more natural than surgical abortions.

The emotions surrounding whether or not to abort a pregnancy are deep and complicated. One cannot begin to fathom what a woman, faced with an unwanted pregnancy feels. No one can expect to know what is best for her, nor can anyone tell her what to do with her body. The FDA approval of this drug rightly gives women another choice. We must ensure that women retain their right to choose this November.

Sincerely,

Alice Chung

Editor-in-Chief