Hello Ladies:
I hope no one minds me responding to this topic.
SkeeBunny, your question is a very good one.
RU486 is an artificial steroid that interferes with the action of progesterone, a hormone crucial to the early progress of
pregnancy. Progesterone stimulates the proliferation of the uterine lining which nourishes the developing child. It also
suppresses normal uterine contractions which could dislodge the child implanted and growing on the wall of the mother's womb.
RU486 fills the chemical receptor sites normally reserved for progesterone, but does not transmit the progesterone signal.
Sensing what appears to be a drop in progesterone, usually a sign that pregnancy has not occurred, a woman's body shuts down
the preparation of the uterus and initiates the normal menstrual process. The child, deprived of necessary nutrients, starves to
death. The baby detaches and is swept out of the body along with the decayed uterine lining.
So Ru-486 actually preempts the gestation of a fertilized egg. What comes out of a woman's body is typically similar to her menstrual period.
As we all know the most pertinent argument in the pro-life/pro-choice debate is when ACTUALLY does a life begin? And whether or not it depends on the viability of the fetus.
Or the stage at which the fetus can survive on its own outside the womb. During the stage in which the RU-486 is administered, the fertilized egg is not larger than a period on a page.
Despite the seemingly easy nature of discarding something so "small" there tends to be severe cramping and bleeding that may last for as long as 30 days. Women continue to see a physician for follow-ups to check for infection and other complications.
I hope this helps. I apologize if it was too harsh and cold sounding, also.
PEACE
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