New Studies Find Use of Ulcer Drugs to Induce Abortion
A stomach turning article in the New York Times today reminds us that the fight for reproductive justice isn't just a legal one, but is also deeply cultural. Two new studies of Latina women, particularly Dominicans, have found widespread use of prescription ulcer medication to induce abortion. Side effects include excessive bleeding, shock, and even rupture of the uterus. Nevertheless, some pharmacists are willing to sell the drug without a prescription for about $30. In a Catholic, anti-choice culture, many teenagers and women find this painful, dangerous abortion method preferable to visiting a family planning clinic or doctor's office, even if they are insured.
It was 12 years ago, but the memory remains vivid: She was handed a packet of pills. They were small and white, $30 for 12. Ms. Dominguez, two or three months pregnant, went to a friend’s apartment and swallowed the pills one by one, washing them down with malta, a molasseslike extract sold in nearly every bodega in the neighborhood.
The cramps began several hours later, doubling Ms. Dominguez over, building and building until, eight and a half hours later, she locked herself in the bathroom and passed a lifeless fetus, which she flushed.
Affordability remains a factor here; with abortions costing upwards of $1,000 and uncovered by public insurance plans, many women simply cannot afford them. Another option that should be more available and affordable is RU-486, the "abortion pill," which also includes misoprostol, the active ingredient in the ulcer medication. Yet RU-486, administered by a doctor and taken in private, is safe and intended for this purpose. It still gives women the advantage, if necessary, of passing their abortions off as miscarriages to anti-choice partners, family, or friends.
Most disturbingly, the Times reports on two cases of immigrant women being imprisoned by American judges for the crime of inducing abortion with ulcer drugs. Desperation and lack of health insurance should not be criminalized. It's hard to believe that any judge would see women -- not society and culture at large -- as the problem here.
Update: It just came to my attention that The American Prospect's deputy editor, the estimable Ann Friedman, was all over this story two years ago when she worked at Mother Jones. Go Ann!
cross-posted at TAPPED
A deeply cultural fight for reproductive justice? What is that? A deeply cultural need for reproductive education is more like it...
These women and men need to be educated. There need to be cultural paradigm shifts in their communities.
These women and men have access to contraceptives and legal abortion, but choose to use neither due to ignorance, superstition, distrust, fear of immigration authorities, and cultural traditions.
Most of the Hispanic culture is steeped in machismo and birth control is generally seen as a woman’s responsibility, but most women fear even raising the issue of using contraceptives with their partners.
Let's start at the beginning in working to solve this population sector's problems--let's start with cultural enlightenment and reproductive education for the women and the men.
Posted by: One Dove | January 05, 2009 at 12:57 PM
wow the stupidity of people these days really astounds me... there are so many people on this earth and we are in an over population crisis and people can still make dumb ass comments like 'Abortion is a crime theres no doubt about that' and 'I'm pretty scared about that fact, really ...that kind of medicines produces abortion ?' seriously is this some kind of retarded christian forum?
Posted by: janice tiger | November 30, 2009 at 03:14 PM