Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Dr. Beth Jordan: More Women Choosing Medical Abortion

A great post up at Vitals: Spotlight has good news today on medical abortion. According to a study by Planned Parenthood, last year one quarter of women who chose abortion used medicine instead of surgery.

Feminist Majority Foundation Medical Director, Dr. Beth Jordan, who fought for FDA approval of this medicine for 12 years, says that this study, which also details the extremely low-risk of taking the drugs, is very promising for the future of reproductive rights for women. Jordan, who is also the medical director of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, hopes that more physicians will offer the abortion pill given the results of the study.

The medical option gives women more control and privacy over their abortion, and has been proven to be very safe. Used during the first nine weeks of pregnancy, the drugs are taken orally and come in two doses. First, mifeprex is given at at the doctor's office, and 24-48 hours later misoprostol is taken.

Experts are hopeful that as women learn more about the medical option for abortion, more women will choose it. For more information on exactly how the drugs work and other facts about medical abortion, check out this website.

Photo courtesy of flickr

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