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Time - Man of the Year
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Time_Man_of_the_Year_Compact_Publishing_3YX-Disc-1_Compact_Publishing_1993.iso
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1993-04-08
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THE WEEK, Page 25HEALTH & SCIENCENew Role for RU 486
A study shows the abortion pill can also be a morning-after
contraceptive
The French-made drug RU 486 cannot be imported into the
U.S. for a reason that makes pro-choice people livid: it is a
safe way of inducing non surgical abortions. But a new study
done at the University of Edinburgh shows that the drug
actually prevents pregnancy in the first place. If taken within
72 hours after intercourse, the drug keeps a fertilized egg from
implanting in the uterus. The same happens if a woman takes a
high dose of birth-control pills, but RU 486 has fewer side
effects. As an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine
points out, the use of RU 486 could cut down on the number of
abortions, since it's technically a contraceptive.
The operative word is "technically." Opponents of RU 486
are unlikely to change their mind based on the scientific
distinction between fertilization and implantation. Chances are
it will stay banned.