Debates have focused on it, religious rights advcates have decried it as a form of feticide and firm believers of women's rights claim it is a step forward for the country. But how will the new abortion pill really affect the University?
Before, an American woman's only option to terminate her pregnancy was surgery.
The recent FDA approval of the drug Mifepristone, however, commonly known as RU-486, now makes it possible for a woman to terminate her pregnancy without ever setting foot inside a hospital. RU-486 appeals to many women because it offers a non-evasive, more private alternative to surgery.
But the procedure, which has been available in Europe for about a decade, is not as simple as it may seem - and also will not be available at the University's Student Health Center, which has neither the manpower nor the equipment for surgical abortion.
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The drug causes vaginal bleeding and cramping, which typically last between 10 to 12 days, but may last for up to 30. In addition, tissue may sometimes be discharged with blood.
RU-486 may be a disappointment for college students who think that it will be less embarrassing and more discrete than a surgical abortion.
"For some women, it is not as private as it appears ... considering the cramping, bleeding and vomiting, it is hard to keep that private in a dorm setting," said Christine Peterson, Student Health's assoc. director of Gynecology.
Although Student Health does not administer abortions, a student suspecting pregnancy can go to Student Health for a simple urine test. Student Health then gives information and offers referrals.
"We make sure that everything is okay early on, but for continuing care, we make referrals. We are unable to offer those services here," Peterson said.
This probably won't be a problem for most students anyway. The number of pregnancies reported at Student Health has significantly dropped in the last 20 years - from 220 in 1979-1980 to 30 last year. And while 210 pregnanies were unplanned in 1980, 27 were last year.
"Students are getting much better education before they come, in secondary school," Peterson said.
RU-486 is the first non-surgical abortion option offered in the United States. The steroid blocks the effects of the hormone progesterone in a woman's body. Progesterone is a vital hormone in normal pregnancies: It nourishes the uterus lining and keeps the uterine muscle relaxed so the embryo can grow, Peterson said. Without it, the uterus lining falls apart and causes bleeding. This bleeding disrupts the needed conditions for the development of the embryo, and the pregnancy is aborted.
RU-486 (brand name Mifeprex) is used in conjunction with another drug, Misoprostol. This drug is administered after the RU-486 has had a chance to work. Misoprostol then stimulates contractions to expel the embryo. Both must be used together for the abortion to work efficiently.
This medical abortion is a three-step process: first, a woman, under the care of a qualified physician, takes one dose (three pills) of RU-486. Two days later, she takes one dose of misoprostol. The last step is two weeks later, when she has a follow-up visit to ensure that the embryo was properly expelled.
Studies have shown that when taken within 49 days of the start of the last menstrual period, the drug combination of RU-486 and Misoprostol is 95 percent effective. But even in Europe, where it has been around for years, RU-486 is still not very popular.
In France, where RU-486 has been used since 1988, non-surgical abortions account for only one-third of the country's abortions. The most popular method is still the surgical abortion. "There is four times the bleeding in this method than in the surgical ... in France, where there has been longtime use of RU-486, it has not become the preferred method," said Sheila Watkinson, Director of the Charlottesville Pregnancy Center. "Most girls end up having a suction abortion."
In the U.S., RU-486 is only a viable option up until seven weeks after menstruation.
The pill seems like a convenient option now, but Watkinson says surgical abortions may still be the most common abortion method.
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