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Abortion Pill Death In U.K.

by Monty L. Patterson on October 10, 2013

First Global Medical Abortion Death from Fatal Clostridium Septicum Infection

United Kingdom: A 31-year-old U.K. woman has died of an aggressive and rare infection after using mifepristone (Abortion Pill, RU-486) and misoprostol as reproductive healthcare providers and researchers continue to unravel the association of fatal infections linked to medical abortions. ⁽¹⁾

A case report published in the July 2013 issue of Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology confirms the discovery of the first known global death case of “Fatal Clostridium septicum following medical termination of pregnancy.” ⁽¹⁾

Clostridium septicum infection in pregnancy is rare. Infections of the uterus with clostridial anaerobic bacteria are relatively uncommon, but they are among the most fatal. ⁽²⁾

Since 2001, including the U.K. death, twelve women worldwide have been documented to have died from rare fatal bacterial infections involving sepsis, toxic shock syndrome, and gas gangrene after medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol. ⁽³⁾

Cheen Leen Khoo M.D. and her colleagues clinically detailed the rapid and fatal complications experienced by the U.K. patient while in the British hospital in 2010. ⁽¹⁾ Outside of the case report findings, Dr. Khoo provided additional information concerning the woman’s prior medical abortion history to give greater insight into this important case. ^{(4) (5)}

Note: This United Kingdom 2013 case report has been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA). ^{(6) (7)}

MedWatch can be used to voluntarily report a serious problem, product use error, or adverse event associated with the use of an FDA-regulated drug.

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U.S. Supreme Court’s New Medical Abortion Pill Case

by Monty L. Patterson on September 13, 2013

THE SUPREME COURT CASE TO FOCUS ON OKLAHOMA'S MEDICAL ABORTION LAW

Opinion: By Monty L. Patterson, Father of Holly Patterson

US-Supreme-Court

The U.S. Supreme Court recently accepted a case Cline v. Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice, challenging Oklahoma’s regulation of the abortion drug Mifeprex commonly known as mifepristone, RU-486, or The Abortion Pill.

The case is an appeal by the state of Oklahoma from a ruling by its Supreme Court striking down a 2011 law that requires prescribing physicians to follow the FDA’s protocol for administering the Mifeprex abortion pill regimen using a combination of two drugs; mifepristone and misoprostol.

The Oklahoma law does not ban the use of the Mifeprex regimen, nor does it ban any abortion before or after 49 days gestation. It simply requires that the medical abortion regimen be administered in the way deemed safest by the FDA. The Act imposes no obstacle or undue burden to women seeking access to an abortion.

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Kay’s Story: “Why Hadn’t Anyone Told Me It Would Be Like This?!”

by Monty L. Patterson on September 8, 2013

"Tears streaming down my face, I called my husband back and told him I was dying!"

"This pain was unimaginable. Indescribable. It was the worst pain I have ever felt. With every cramp I felt my heart race and my blood pressure plummet."

"By the time my husband arrived home a few minutes later, the water in the tub was colored red by blood and our dog was barking like mad in-between my screams."

INTRODUCTION: KAY'S ABORTION EXPERIENCE WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD

As a ardent pro-choice advocate, Kay tells her story of a 2006 surgical abortion and a horrific medical abortion experience in 2013 that had been provided by Planned Parenthood.

Married, in her late twenties, pursuing a PhD to advance her academic professional development, Kay found herself facing a second unplanned pregnancy when a course of potent antibiotics treating a serious infection interfered with her birth control.

In 2013, Kay and her spouse went to Planned Parenthood's Georgetown Health Center in Indianapolis, Indiana to terminate an early pregnancy with the mifepristone/misoprostol medical abortion pill regimen.

She stated "the whole ordeal was awful"and left her feeling very angry that she had not been properly informed and warned about the unpredictable risks of an early medical abortion pregnancy termination.

Her husband had called Planned Parenthood several times describing Kay's alarming condition to them. They responded that this was “normal” and she did not need to go to the hospital unless she was hemhorraging.

The duration of the medical abortion process in addition to accidental bleeding episodes left Kay embarrassed, depressed and hiding at home.

Planned Parenthood discusses on its website that the medication abortion pill option is private, feels more "natural" like a miscarriage, women feel more in control, it's less invasive, and nearly all women would recommend the method to a friend.

Kay had her own personal experience with medical abortion. She shares her story so others can learn what can happen when choosing the abortion pill as an option.

Is medical abortion truly the ultimate in women’s reproductive empowerment and personal privacy?

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Isis’ Story: The Scariest Moment Of My Life With RU-486!

by Monty L. Patterson on April 28, 2013

"I feel that it is my obligation to tell my story for all the women out there that have been fooled that this so called “natural way of abortion” is in no way normal."

"As a matter of fact it was a freakish nightmare for me!"

INTRODUCTION: ISIS' STORY AND INTERVIEW

Tucked inside a historic downtown Brooklyn building, The Best Women's Medical Care (BWMC) clinic, also known by its website as "The Women's Choice", provides gynecological and abortion services. As a reproductive health care clinic for women, BWMC claims to educate, inform and provide clinical and emotional security for their valued patients.

On April 11, 2013, Isis, a 22-year-old college student from New York had an appointment with BWMC's staff to obtain counseling and guidance, so she could make an informed health care decision, about terminating her early unplanned pregnancy.

After receiving her sonogram, it was determined that Isis was 5 weeks and 4 days pregnant and prescribed an alternative/off-label regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol which has not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Isis received the mifepristone abortion pill (RU-486, Mifeprex) to take orally at the clinic. Mifepristone inhibits and blocks the essential reproductive hormone progesterone that plays a critical role for the initiation and maintenance of pregnancy.

Before leaving the clinic, she was briefly instructed to vaginally insert misoprostol that same evening, just before bedtime, to induce contractions to expel the embryo and placental tissues.

For Isis, her experience with the clinic's staff and the lack of information she had been given about the abortion pill procedure was a disappointing failure. She now hopes to warn other young women about her abortion pill experience which she describes as a “freakish nightmare.”

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Recognizing the Risks of Medical Abortion Bleeding Complications

by Monty L. Patterson on September 13, 2012

A Woman’s Abortion Pill Experience

Women sometimes share their personal experiences as a way to empower other patients through knowledge. This community can sometimes be found at a website or a group forum where a voice is given to a group of women known to suffer in silence as they relate to truly understand each other’s challenges.⁽¹⁾

Some of the following statements are from one woman’s experience, as she describes her ordeal to others in a group forum, about her early pregnancy termination with the abortion pill.

“Almost a year ago I had a medical abortion. And not to scare you, but it was one of the worst experiences of my life.”⁽¹⁾

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Australia’s First Abortion Pill Death Raises Issues & Unanswered Questions

by Monty L. Patterson on March 30, 2012

AUSTRALIA has reported its first medical abortion death of a woman who terminated her early pregnancy at home using the abortion pill otherwise known RU-486 or mifepristone.

Little is known about the details and circumstances surrounding her death including; her age, where she died, how many weeks she was pregnant, what type of medical abortion regimen was prescribed to her, or if the medical examiner tested her for a wide range of bacterial infections which includes the lethal Clostridium sordelli pathogen that has resulted in the majority of sepsis deaths in the U.S.

The country’s newspaper, The Australian, reported on March 19, 2012 that a woman died of sepsis “some days after” after she was prescribed an abortion pill regimen at one of Marie Stopes International Australia’s clinics back in 2010. ^{(1) (2)}

At that time, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Marie Stopes International Australia (MSIA), TGA Medical Officer Dr. Anthony Gill, and well known abortion advocate Professor Caroline De Costa commented on medical abortion issues including; patient care, procedures, and the first known death in Australia from the mifepristone abortion pill.

However, on March 31, journalist Angela Shanahan, for The Australian angrily responded with her opinion about the danger signals in response to the abortion drug death: ⁽⁴⁷⁾

Angela Shanahan: “Why did it take two years for her death to become public? RU486 was legalized after great public outcry… Did the authorities not think the medical profession and public might like to know about this?” ⁽⁴⁷⁾

Angela Shanahan: "RU-486 (mifepristone) was supposed to be of huge benefit to women. The abortion pill was meant to prevent the problems associated with surgical abortions, the emotional and physical trauma and the ghastly possible complications, and suitable for women in remote areas which, as this poor woman's death shows, it definitely is not." ⁽⁴⁷⁾

Obviously, the debate about the risks of medical abortion in Australia is far from over.

This article will also briefly discuss Clostridium sordellii toxic as as an emerging infection following medical abortion, the experimental status of mifepristone in Australia, Marie Stopes International regimens, unapproved regimens used by in the U.S., and the international record of known medical abortion deaths as a result of the prescribed use of mifepristone and misoprostol to terminate early pregnancy.

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The Confused Choice: Morning-after Pill or Abortion Pill?

by Monty L. Patterson on December 2, 2011

What is the difference between the Morning-after Pill and the Abortion Pill?

The emergency contraceptive “Morning-after Pill” can prevent an unplanned pregnancy while the "Abortion Pill" can terminate an established early pregnancy.

The Morning-after Pill to Prevent Pregnancy

Emergency contraception pills (ECPs), also known as the “Morning-after Pill”, are used to help prevent a woman from getting pregnant after she has had sex without using birth control or if the birth control method failed. ⁽¹⁾

The term "Morning-after Pill," can be misleading because ECPs don't have to be taken the morning after. ⁽¹⁾

ECPs can reduce the chance of pregnancy when taken as directed up to 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected sex. Some kinds of ECPs can work up to 120 hours (5 days) later. ⁽¹⁾

In the United States, there are several kinds of FDA-approved emergency contraception pills (ECPs). The trade names of the ECPs or morning-after pills are Plan B One-Step, Next Choice and ella. ^{(2) (3) (4)}

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Are Alternative Medical Abortion Regimens Safe?

by Monty L. Patterson on October 21, 2011

The Associated Press reported on October 19, 2011 an Oklahoma judge had temporarily blocked from taking effect a new law that requires health care providers to follow the strict guidelines and protocols for medical abortion as it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2000.

Attorney Michelle Mohaved of the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing the plaintiffs said she was "thrilled" by the ruling as a victory for abortion rights advocates.

However, this is not a victory for the women that are being misinformed of the actual risks of the combined use of the two medical abortion inducing drugs known as mifepristone (RU486) and misoprostol that was approved by the FDA to terminate early pregnancy up to 7 weeks gestation.

These drugs are dangerous and should be used only in strict accordance with FDA guidelines. [click to continue…]

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Abortionpillrisks.org Launches Website in Memory of Holly Patterson

by Monty L. Patterson on September 28, 2011

MIFEPRISTONE MEDICAL ABORTION: 11 YEARS LATER

Approved in the U.S. on September 28, 2000, the mifepristone Abortion Pill is claimed to have had an extraordinary journey by abortion providers. Supporters of medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol had hoped that it would provide a safe and non-surgical approach to rectify the inequities in abortion care.

Despite the drug’s controversies, while weaving its way through the abortion-related political hazards, medical abortion has made its impact on women. Particularly, the tragic consequences it has had on the lives of many women and their families.

Women are relying upon what they believe is factual information along with a supportive network of providers assuring them of the drug’s safety and effectiveness.

That wasn’t the case for Holly Patterson and many others like her who participated in their own medical abortion procedure. [click to continue…]

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