Teen Dies on Abortion Pill - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Halx · 09-28-2003, 04:03 PM

Quote:

California teen dies after complications from abortion pill
By MIELIKKI ORG, Associated Press Writer

SAN FRANCISCO - An 18-year-old who had concealed her pregnancy died of complications after she took RU-486 (news - web sites), one week after she began taking the abortion pill.

Holly Patterson, who lived in the San Francisco suburb of Livermore, visited a Planned Parenthood (news - web sites) clinic Sept. 10 to take the pill. She followed the prescribed procedure for using RU-486, taking two more pills at home in the following days.

After experiencing bleeding and cramps so severe that she was unable to walk, her boyfriend rushed her to the hospital, where she was given painkillers and sent home. She was back in the hospital a few days later and died on Sept. 17.

An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death. But her father, Monty Patterson, said he learned from an attending physician at the hospital that she had died after a massive infection caused by fragments of the fetus left inside her uterus caused her to go into septic shock. He said he had no idea that his daughter was pregnant or that she was taking abortion drugs.

Planned Parenthood also said it is investigating Patterson's death.

A spokeswoman for Danco Laboratories, which makes RU-486, estimated that 200,000 women in the United States and more than 1 million worldwide have used the pill since it was invented in France in the 1980s.

Two women who took it in the United States have died, although the FDA (news - web sites) says it is unclear if their deaths were directly related to the pill's use.

Patients who take RU-486 take the first pill under the care of a physician. A second medication called misoprostol, taken three days later, induces labor so the embryo can be expelled. In 5 to 8 percent of cases, surgery is required to stop the patient's bleeding.

Planned Parenthood's web site compares the process to having a miscarriage.

Eric Schaff, chair of the National Abortion Federation (news - web sites), which promotes non-surgical abortion, said aspirin causes more deaths than RU-486.

But anti-abortion groups such as the National Right to Life Committee (news - web sites) insist that the pills "offer a whole new set of significant risks," and makes abortion seem too simple. A report on the group's Web site says the pill gives "supporters of abortion a chance to change the image of abortion, making it seem as simple as taking a pill."

Just another reminder that with great sex comes great responsibility. Wrap it up, fellas!

rainheart · 09-28-2003, 04:24 PM

That sounds pretty gruesome...

mattevil · 09-28-2003, 04:38 PM

so was she using the drug to late or do fragments that small cause problems? I only ask since i'm prochoice and this could be bad for that(if its dangerous thogh i say take it away though)

Anomaly_ · 09-28-2003, 05:05 PM

As the article states, this is a rare occurence with RU-486 and it's not even yet known whether there were complications in this case. I can't stand it when groups (in this case anti-abortion ones) try to make an example out of something like this. What's more upsetting is that the morning after pill tends to be grouped with chemical abortion pills when it is only a larger dose of normal oral contraceptive. Adam Carolla has gone on many great rants about the this subject.
Why do anti-abortion groups not support the availability of prescription-free emergency contraceptive? There would be fewer abortions (chemical or surgical) wouldn't there? It's because they are Pro-Consequences and Pro- Telling You What to Do, not Pro-Life. That being said, I think RU-486 should be one of the last options for birth control, not the first.

Jdoe · 09-28-2003, 06:24 PM

Actually that tends to be the heart of the debate you see. Where opposing views believe 'life' begins. But I think this kind of argument would probably be better in philosophy.

Everything else aside, it's a shame to see another person leave the world.

Jdoe

JStrider · 09-28-2003, 07:09 PM

yah... something that really pissed me off was that my schools paper said "she died after taking RU-486 the morning after pill"
lame...

i think its too bad this happened... and that the antiabortion zealots are gonna grab at this and could use it to get some of the the chemical abortion pills and possibly the morning after pills off the market...

Jim Kata · 09-28-2003, 07:09 PM

Isn't there a small window of oppurtunity to take that pill? Perhaps she waited too long and the fetus was bigger than usual for the pill to work properly.

StormBerlin · 09-28-2003, 08:09 PM

It was probably just a fluke. More women die from giving birth than taking any kind of abortion pill/morning after pill. Poor girl. That is what happens when you can't talk to you parents about your personal life... you make stupid decisions.

Lebell · 09-28-2003, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by StormBerlin
It was probably just a fluke. More women die from giving birth than taking any kind of abortion pill/morning after pill. Poor girl. That is what happens when you can't talk to you parents about your personal life... you make stupid decisions.

Exactly what I was going to add.

It is so unusual for this to happen that it makes national news.

But when was the last time a woman dying during child birth made the news?

Anomaly_ · 09-28-2003, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jdoe
Actually that tends to be the heart of the debate you see. Where opposing views believe 'life' begins.

For RU-486, yes, that is relevant. For the morning-after pill it isn't. It prevents ovulation so there is never conception in the first place. This is why opposition to it absolutely blows my mind. It is only prescription-free in Washington (state) and California as far as I know. This issue really gets me riled up because I feel the wrong people are having too many children and it is reflected in many of society's problems. Abortion just seems to be an ideological battle that both sides of the policitcal spectrum will gladly carry on about to no end. Meanwhile, widespread use of condoms and availability of emergency contraception could largely circumvent the issue of abortion altogether. But no, we must perpetually make abortion an issue and ignore that voodoo medicine known as emergency contraceptive.

Sorry for digressing, this should probably be in Philosophy/Politics.

Jdoe · 09-30-2003, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Anomaly_
It prevents ovulation so there is never conception in the first place....
Sorry for digressing, this should probably be in Philosophy/Politics.

For the first part of the quote I must restate. That is the heart of the debate, where opposing sides believe 'life' begins. As for the second I'll agree and quote myself, "But I think this kind of argument would probably be better in philosophy."

Jdoe

phredgreen · 09-30-2003, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by StormBerlin
That is what happens when you can't talk to you parents about your personal life... you make stupid decisions.

those really verge on my feelings... i think the biggest problem this country faces in regards to youth are parents that aren't available for their kids, either by choice or by circumstance... this creates a space between them and the relationship is such that they can't comfortabley talk about such things... i'm not saying i discuss my wanking habits with my mom or anything, but she mader herself available to any questions i might have and was supportive of me as i grew up and learned more about myself... this dosen't happen nearly enough.

GoldenOuroboros · 09-30-2003, 05:29 AM

This is a pretty shocking story, as much as I'm against abortion I also believe in free will.

But if she was severly bleeding and with abdominal cramps.. why was she just sent home? That doesn't sound right to me what so ever, that's seems to be where the problem as started.. as it says in 5-8% of the cases where women use this drug surgery is needed to stop the bleeding.

I think that possibly information was withheld from the nurse, if she had told the nurse that she had just taken the abortion pill then there might have been more looked into it. But still... Who can you really blame?

We live in a strange world..

AngelHands · 09-30-2003, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Anomaly_
I can't stand it when groups (in this case anti-abortion ones) try to make an example out of something like this. What's more upsetting is that the morning after pill tends to be grouped with chemical abortion pills when it is only a larger dose of normal oral contraceptive.

Have you ever read how the morning after pill works? It makes it so that either an egg isn't released or it coats the uterine lining so an egg can't attach to it, therefore flushing an embryo out of the body. A heartbeat is present 24 hours after conception, which can be from 48-72 hours after fertilization. To me, that means that it is now a baby. You can take the morning after pill up to like, 110 hours or so after unprotected sex.... what does that say to you? [/rant]

filtherton · 09-30-2003, 02:40 PM

Let's see how many threads we can have the "It's a baby as soon as the sperm pierces the egg v. It's a baby when it ______" discussion on.

Its sad when most people die. The cause seems statistically flukelike though so i think it is irrelevant.

09-28-2003, 07:09 PM	#6 (permalink)
JStrider Poo-tee-weet? Location: The Woodlands, TX	yah... something that really pissed me off was that my schools paper said "she died after taking RU-486 the morning after pill" lame... i think its too bad this happened... and that the antiabortion zealots are gonna grab at this and could use it to get some of the the chemical abortion pills and possibly the morning after pills off the market... __________________ -=JStrider=- ~Clatto Verata Nicto

09-28-2003, 08:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
StormBerlin Happy as a hippo Location: Southern California	It was probably just a fluke. More women die from giving birth than taking any kind of abortion pill/morning after pill. Poor girl. That is what happens when you can't talk to you parents about your personal life... you make stupid decisions. __________________ "if anal sex could get a girl pregnant i'd be tits deep in child support" Arcane

09-30-2003, 05:29 AM	#13 (permalink)
GoldenOuroboros The Cheshire Grin... Location: An Aussie Outback	This is a pretty shocking story, as much as I'm against abortion I also believe in free will. But if she was severly bleeding and with abdominal cramps.. why was she just sent home? That doesn't sound right to me what so ever, that's seems to be where the problem as started.. as it says in 5-8% of the cases where women use this drug surgery is needed to stop the bleeding. I think that possibly information was withheld from the nurse, if she had told the nurse that she had just taken the abortion pill then there might have been more looked into it. But still... Who can you really blame? We live in a strange world.. __________________ Can you see me grin grin grrriiiiinnnning?!

09-28-2003, 04:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
rainheart Psycho	That sounds pretty gruesome...

09-28-2003, 04:38 PM	#3 (permalink)
mattevil Addict Location: Virginia	so was she using the drug to late or do fragments that small cause problems? I only ask since i'm prochoice and this could be bad for that(if its dangerous thogh i say take it away though)

09-28-2003, 05:05 PM	#4 (permalink)
Anomaly_ Insane	As the article states, this is a rare occurence with RU-486 and it's not even yet known whether there were complications in this case. I can't stand it when groups (in this case anti-abortion ones) try to make an example out of something like this. What's more upsetting is that the morning after pill tends to be grouped with chemical abortion pills when it is only a larger dose of normal oral contraceptive. Adam Carolla has gone on many great rants about the this subject. Why do anti-abortion groups not support the availability of prescription-free emergency contraceptive? There would be fewer abortions (chemical or surgical) wouldn't there? It's because they are Pro-Consequences and Pro- Telling You What to Do, not Pro-Life. That being said, I think RU-486 should be one of the last options for birth control, not the first.

09-28-2003, 06:24 PM	#5 (permalink)
Jdoe Crazy	Actually that tends to be the heart of the debate you see. Where opposing views believe 'life' begins. But I think this kind of argument would probably be better in philosophy. Everything else aside, it's a shame to see another person leave the world. Jdoe

09-28-2003, 07:09 PM	#7 (permalink)
Jim Kata Swollen Member Location: Northern VA	Isn't there a small window of oppurtunity to take that pill? Perhaps she waited too long and the fetus was bigger than usual for the pill to work properly.

09-30-2003, 02:40 PM	#15 (permalink)
filtherton Junkie Location: In the land of ice and snow.	Let's see how many threads we can have the "It's a baby as soon as the sperm pierces the egg v. It's a baby when it ______" discussion on. Its sad when most people die. The cause seems statistically flukelike though so i think it is irrelevant.