Even though the new abortion pill RU 486 makes abortions quicker and easier, the University’s Student Health Center — and some local pharmacies — will not carry the drug.
“RU 486 causes serious side effects that most college health centers are not equipped to handle,” said Dr. Gerald Fleischli, director of the health center.
The pill, also called mifepristone, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration this fall.
Fleischli said the health center will not offer RU 486 to patients because the center does not have the facilities for its staff to perform major surgeries that are sometimes required after women use the pill.
“We don’t like to begin medical processes here if other steps may be involved down the road that we are not able to handle,” he said.
Lane Community College also will not offer the pill for similar reasons.
When RU 486 was approved for public use, it sparked a debate about possible health risks and moral issues that has still not been resolved.
Debra Bufton, director of clinical services at All Women’s Health Services, said certain side effects occur in about 5 percent of women who use RU 486 due to varied circumstances. She said some of the problems include severe bleeding by the patient and tissue that may remain inside the woman after the abortion.
“While medical problems associated with using RU 486 do not happen that often,” she said, “sometimes side effects do occur because the procedure was not complete.”
Julie Dewsnup, pharmacy manager at the health center, said the reason side effects occur in some women and not others is because everyone’s body is different.
“Even though we’re all humans, we all react to medications differently,” she said.
Dewsnup said some of the human differences that cause drug reactions are body size, allergies and genetic makeup.
Besides the health center’s pharmacy, Dewsnup said other pharmacies in town will not be carrying RU 486 either. She said the reason is that patients must have an ultrasound first to make sure the baby is not too far along, and pharmacies do not have the machines.
“This is also one reason why the health center will not offer RU 486, because we don’t have an ultrasound machine,” she said.
The Eugene branch of Planned Parenthood, a national family planning organization, will not yet be offering RU 486. Diane Duke, associate executive director of Planned Parenthood, said the board has yet to address the issue of providing the pill, but it is on the agenda to be discussed in the future.
“We support women’s right to have abortions,” she said, adding that the reason Planned Parenthood does not offer abortions is because several private clinics in Eugene do provide them.
“Our concern is that access to abortions is broadly available around the city,” she said.
Despite the debate about RU 486, Fleischli said the health center is always open to helping patients find the right resources for the choices they make.
“We respect the woman’s right to choose,” he said.