The current discussion surrounding RU 486, or the “abortion pill”, has harbored a lot of misinformation to be dispersed through different outlets, leading people to have opinions on it that aren’t necessarily based in science or even simple research from reliable sources. According to Planned Parenthood, RU 486 is a legal, safe, non-surgical, non-invasive method to terminate a pregnancy up to 10 weeks after becoming pregnant. Attacks on the abortion pill – a safe, legal, and often less traumatic alternative to surgical abortion – are part of a trend to take away women’s reproductive rights and eliminate women’s control over their own bodies. A recent Princeton University study found that less than 1 percent of women who take RU 486 experience any serious side effects, contrary to the notion that when taking the pill, one will experience heavy bleeding and/or severe blood clots regardless.

As was stated in the original article on RU 486, the claim that illegally misusing medication makes it rational to declare all use illegal is to misunderstand the purpose of law. Thinking that making something illegal will prevent illegal use is ignorant and misguided. On a related note, the elimination of safe abortion methods does not prevent women who need abortions from seeking them or ultimately stop abortions from taking place, but only forces them to use unsafe methods to obtain abortions. No woman wants to have an abortion; rather, circumstances often make termination the safest option for the health of the mother if there are health concerns or other related concerns. In parts of Latin America, where abortion is illegal, the abortion rate is 32 per every 1000 births, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Banning abortion forces women to seek more dangerous measures such as obtaining abortions from unskilled practitioners, who may perforate the uterus or perform an incomplete abortion, leading to more health problems later in life.

The administration of abortion pills should always be by a doctor, and many times require a doctor’s supervision to continue with the pill. Any concerns during the process can be directed to a 24/7-telephone hotline, or medical professional via the Planned Parenthood website, and the abortion should always be followed up by a medical professional to ensure the abortion is complete. All safe abortion methods should be legal and accessible to women choosing to use them. A woman’s decision to terminate a pregnancy is no one else’s but her own, and should be a choice backed by science, not politics.