Nothing special about a state pharmaceuticals agency approving a drug for use, except this is Italy and RU486 is otherwise known as
RU486 available in Italy! Wow!
Kudos to the Italian Pharmaceuticals Agency, who in a 4-1 decision to approve, stated that "the task of protecting the well-being of citizens ... must take precedence over personal convictions."
The drug will not be available over the counter, but will only be available in hospital under the supervision of a doctor.
The Catholic Church has, of course, come out strongly against the decision. They could not threaten the Italian Pharmaceuticals Agency directly to influence the decision, as that's, like, illegal. So it's done the next best cowardly thing. The Vatican has threatened to excommunicate any doctor, nurse, or woman involved in taking RU486.
Well done the Italian Pharmaceuticals Agency. Another small step in removing the Catholic Church from women's uteruses
Just a little nit to pick.
ReplyDeleteRU486 is an abortion pill, not a morning after pill.
The morning after pill, such as plan B, works like the birth control pill, primarily by suppressing ovulation, and secondarily by preventing the fertilized egg to implant.
If a woman is pregnant plan B has no effect, but RU486 can induce abortion in such a case.
In Brazil, the Catholic Church excommunicated the doctor who performed a life-saving abortion on a 9 year old girl pregnant with twins. They did not excommunicate the man who raped her, go figure!
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ReplyDeleteThere's an update of this news. Now the RU486 is supposed to be available in Italy. However a doctor prescription is not enough and also the hospitalization is required. Women that go for a surgical abortion do that in day-hospital, while women preferring RU486 are (theoretically) obliged to stay 3 days in the hospital... Guess who claimed for this? Obviously only for the sake of women's health!
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