Dead teen may have taken abortion pill

[demdave]

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Authorities are investigating the death of an 18-year-old San Francisco area woman who died after reportedly taking the abortion pill RU-486.

Monty Patterson, the victim's father, told The San Francisco Chronicle that his daughter, Holly. had gotten a prescription for RU-486 at a Planned Parenthood office in Hayward on Sept. 10 to end her seven-week pregnancy. He said he did not know his daughter, who lived with him, was pregnant until hours before her death.

http://interestalert.com/brand/siteia.shtml?Story=st/sn/09190000aaa063c4.upi&Sys=rmmiller&Fid=NATIONAL&Type=News&Filter=National%20News

[Caution]

1. And in other news...

Someone, somewhere, had a heart attack while watching a disney movie. Alarmed pro-lifers claim this proves that god kills those who believe in abortion.

[Cappurr]

22. This is very sad and it happens perhaps more than we know

But this child's death had nothing to do with 482. It was he treatment after she had pain that was the problem. The Gave heE pAIN PILLS AND SENT HER HOME? Any first year nurse knows you gottcheck the woomb and perhaps do a D/C. If I didn't know better I'd think thise hicks at that hospital delieberately let her suffer

[Chico Man]

2. Something sounds fishy here

The poor father, he sounds like he is in denial, and is probably looking for answers..

Any other reports on the worldwide death side affect statistics on this pill? It is not known to be dangerous, I believe?

I'd have to say there are probably more answers to this. It is unfortunate because you know what crowd is going to be all over this.

[HERVEPA]

3. Beware the source

UPI is Moonie.

[Options Remain]

5. septic shock??!?!?!

Patterson said Holly was crying, bleeding and in such pain she could not walk on Sunday. Her boyfriend took her to a hospital where she was given painkillers and released.

"She went back into the hospital in the middle of the night Wednesday, and she died at 2 p.m.," Patterson said. "The doctor told me that she hadn't aborted all of the fetus, and she had fragments left in her, and she had a massive systemic infection and went into septic shock."

fragments and septic shock? Thats not Ru-486 thats a coathanger.

not enough information but I can't see death by septic shock being because of the abortion pill.

TearForger

[bicentennial_baby]

11. According to this...

it's a possibility

"Population Council's RU-486 drug trials in Canada were suspended in 2001 following the September 1, 2001 death of a woman participating in the trials, from septic shock due to a bacterial infection.42 The Canadian newspaper, National Post, reported that she took RU-486 pills on August 23 and returned two days later for misoprostol. By August 28 she was bleeding and suffering from cramps. She was hospitalized with unspecified side effects and died September 1, from a toxic-shock type syndrome brought on by a bacterial infection identified as Clostridium sordelli. The Vancouver abortion provider heading the Canadian drug trials, Dr. Ellen Wiebe, told the National Post that "The drugs caused the abortion and the infection is related to the abortion. ..." 43

Studies on Infection Rates Following RU-486 Abortions

In a World Health Organization (WHO) study, 30% of women who had incomplete RU-486 abortions developed pelvic/genital tract infections because one effect of the drugs combination is to suppress immune system response. In fact, the WHO study calls for women to receive antibiotics for six weeks following an RU-486 abortion.44

One review of RU-486/prostaglandin regimens around the world reports on a trial involving 2,000 cases.45 "The most common problems reported at follow-up were continued pain, vaginal bleeding, and offensive discharge. Antibiotics were prescribed for 5% of the 1,322 women for presumed genital infection." 46

Four percent of the women in U.S. trials had RU-486-related fever, viral infection and vaginitis.47 Ten cases of endometritis (inflammation of the uterine lining) also occurred.48"

http://www.ru486facts.org/index.cfm?page=sideeffects

[Iris]

20. I wonder if she told the emergency room doctor that she had taken RU-486

Wouldn't a D&C have been in order at that point?

[bicentennial_baby]

24. I would think so

a D&C for the incomplete abortion and IV antibiotics for the infection possibly could have saved her. Uterine infections are very dangerous, because the uterus itself is a very closed, inviting space for nasty anaerobic bacteria to thrive in. My dog had one in June and was almost dead in less than 24 hours...

I fully support women using RU 486 in a responsible manner, under the supervision of a doctor. That being said, people need to realize that all medications have risks associated with them, and sometimes can kill you.

[FlaGranny]

32. I wonder if they compared the infections

resulting from spontaneous abortions to the study you cited

http://www.womenshealth.org/a/spontaneous_abortion_common.htm

"In some cases, the embryo or fetus may be only partially expelled. Also the spot on the uterine wall where it was attached may continue to bleed. Infections and excessive bleeding are the main complications of spontaneous abortion. If the woman experiences pelvic pain, heavy vaginal bleeding, or the symptoms of an infection (fever, malaise) she should go to an emergency room. These can be treated relatively easy with antibiotics and/or a D&C (a minor surgery to remove the uterine lining and any remaining embryonic fragments) and other medications."

Infection after an abortion, either therapeutic or spontaneous, or even after childbirth, are fairly COMMON. My own grandmother died from it, before the days of antibiotics.

[hippiechick]

19. sounds like it was an ectopic pregnancy

which, without RU-486 would have been life threatening.

RU-486 is a bystander in this, IMO.

:hippie:

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. Here is another source (Associated Press)

Pregnant Teen Dies After Abortion Pill

MENLO PARK (AP) -- An investigation has been launched into the death of an Alameda County teenager who died several days after reportedly taking the abortion pill RU 486.

The 18-year-old girl's father told the San Francisco Chronicle she got a prescription for the drug from a Planned Parenthood office in Hayward on September 10th. She was seven weeks pregnant at the time.

Planned Parenthood told the newspaper it is working with the family to find the cause of her death.

Monty Patterson said his daughter Holly visited Planned Parenthood last Wednesday. She began taking the drugs Saturday. He says his daughter was bleeding and in acute pain from Sunday to Wednesday.

more: http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=1449693

[Skittles]

31. OH

I THOUGHT YOU WERE REFERRING TO DEMDAVE.

[flamingyouth]

4. More from SF Gate

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/09/19/BA258408.DTL

Very sad story. There are risks associated with any pregnancy or abortion, unfortunately.

[NashVegas]

33. This Didn't Have to Happen

My daughter wanted to keep this a secret. She suffered in silence.

[spotbird]

6. She died of an infection in her blood.

There is no way to know where the infection started. She could have had an abscessed tooth as well.

Assuming the infection began in this woman’s womb, women acquire similar infections after childbirth, or die from other causes in childbirth all the time also. So shouldn’t there be more public education on the dangers of childbirth?

[HERVEPA]

7. Abortion vs. carrying to term

Many more women die from carrying babies to term than due to induced abortions.
(This is not an argument for having an abortion, just a fact).
As a volunteer Planned Parenthood escort, I'll be hearing about this one from the anti's next time I escort (along with bogus breast cancer / abortion connection BS).

[Gman]

8. Isn't 7 weeks a little late for RU-486

I thought it was for the first week or two.

[KCDem]

14. first, you have to figure out the timing of pregnancy.

What is considered to be the first day of pregancy is actually the first day of the last period before you get pregnant. So it is impossible to say you are 1 or 2 weeks pregnant; you might conceive exactly on the 2-week mark, get it? So, when you actually have BEEN pregnant for 2 weeks, you are considered 4 weeks along. Crazy, I know, but I guess far more women know when their last period began than when they ovulated.

7 weeks is towards the end of when RU-486 is recommended. From most reports I've heard, surgical is the preferred method at this time.

[Mandate My Ass]

9. a ruptured ectopic pregnancy

Many women die of this complication who haven't taken RU-486.

[Whoa_Nelly]

10. An IUD

and aborting could possibly lead to septicemia. So, it wouldn't have been the abortion pill that killed her, but rather the IUD contributing to the infection after aborting using the pill. If this were to be the scenario, then the accountability lays with the clinic that dispensed the abortion pill without counseling regarding the possible effects when an IUD is in place.

I also question the hospital for not investigating thoroughly BOTH times regarding the cause of her pain and bleeding. The only reason the hospital would not consider investigating the possibility that an IUD had been in place and was aborted with the fetus would be that the girl chose not to didn't report to the hospital staff in charge of her case that an IUD had been in place prior to the pregnancy.

Just my speculation.

Without the investigation and/or full reporting of all the facts that relate to this news, the RW Christian Coalition media whores have once more done their best to shoot down pro-choice advocacy.

on edit: After reading the sources re: RU-486, it could possibly be that there may have been miscommunication/misunderstading between the girl and Planned Parenthood, since she chose to go to a hospital rather than report and/or return to PP. It could have been that the girl didn't understand the risks, the side effects or the need to immediately contact PP regarding any symptomatic problems. This could be a case of poor choices on the girl's part, and not the fault of PP or RU-486.

[BiggJawn]

36. Her insurance didn't cover "competent care"

Give me a tinfoil hat if you want, but I'm slowly coming to the conclussion that people with HMO or "Managed Care" coverage (like me) get the short end of things when it comes to medical care.

"Ask your doctor before you embark on ANY exercise regimin. He may want to do some tests..."
Mine told me "Mmm-Hmmm...That sounds Good..."

This girl goes to the hospital with acute pain, and they give her some Tylenols and send her home? If she had Blue Cross, she'd been put up in a private room with some guy flying in from Mayo to see her.

So even if you have insurance, its no guarantee that you'll get GOOD care....

[Mandate My Ass]

12. UMmmmm WTF?? Half that article just disappeared

Including the part that explained that the docs attributed death to "a ruptured ectopic pregnancy."

RU-486 does not cause the embryo to break up, it just causes the uterus to expel it. Obviously we can't let the facts get in the way of the emotional impact of a dead 18-year-old girl.

[demdave]

18. Obviously we can't let the facts get in the way of our agenda

I refer you to post 11 above.

I have seen in this thread already where it can be dismissed because of the news source being mooni, because the father is in denial and because she had a hypothetical impacted tooth(or something like that).
As has been atated earlier, there are risks involved with any medical procedure including birth. Why people give the opposition the ammunition to say we blindly ignore facts for the sake of our oplitical and social agendas is beyond me. Facts don't lie. These things do happen, just not with the frequency people with the opposite agenda suggest. Nonetheless, both extremes are being dishonest to themselves and feeding a stereotype that taints us all.

[Mandate My Ass]

21. I'd refer you to the part of the article that

attributed death to an ectopic pregnancy, BUT IT WAS DELETED!

Why is that I wonder? :eyes:

[bicentennial_baby]

26. One thing

there is a school of thought that feels that one risk associated with RU486 is the possibility of an unknown ectopic pregnancy being present. The way around this would be for women to get an ultrasound before taking the medication. Safer for the woman, and less liability for the doctors. If I were going to take it, I would go that route, to be on the safe side. And yes, I would take it if I felt it was appropriate for my situation.

[Mandate My Ass]

27. Then screening for unknown ectopic pregnancies

should be universal as they are extremely dangerous to a woman's health and not just women who are seeking to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

An alternative diagnosis could be that the uterine infection predated the pregnancy causing the ectopic pregnancy and death and not RU-486.

"Infection in the pelvis is another leading cause of ectopic pregnancy. Pelvic infections are usually caused by sexually transmitted organisms, such as chlamydia or gonorrhea. However, non-sexually transmitted bacteria can also cause pelvic infection and increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy. Infection causes an ectopic pregnancy by damaging or obstructing the fallopian tubes."

http://www.medicinenet.com/Ectopic_Pregnancy/article.htm

[yankeeinlouisiana]

37. They do!

Before you're given an abortion they do an ultrasound. Many women who are seeking an abortion are intersted in RU486 and the clinic/doctor is not going to take your word for how far along you are or when your last period was. They do the ultrasound to determine gestation of the fetus/embryo.

An ectopic pregnancy is always dangerous...abortion or not.

This is very, very sad. It seems that she wanted to keep it a secret until the very end. If she didn't tell the hospital, then you can't blame the hospital. If she did tell the hospital, then the hospital is in a lot of trouble.

[bicentennial_baby]

38. No they don't

A while back, I had an abortion, and no, there was no ultrasound involved.

[veganwitch]

39. when exactly was this? and where?

that is standard procedure for abortions. in mine, the nurse couldnt find anything from the outside, so she took a vaginal ultrasound (that was fun :eyes: the first of many things up my cunt that day.)

[Timefortruth]

25. Did you realize that carrying a pregnancy to term

is way more dangerous than an abortion? If it is women’s health you are worried about are you willing to advocate more abortions to protect the women becoming victimized by childbirth?

[Chico Man]

30. If I were the father

I would not have this published all over the news until the reason for the death was definitive.

I am not blindly ignoring facts. Actually, I am looking very carefully at the fact that the news story was published before any tests had been done to conclusively rule out or in the drug.

Certainly the father is experiencing a certain amount of denial that his daughter has been lost. When he found out she had taken drugs, naturally the connection would have been immediately drawn. To then take this to the press at that point is not smart.

[veganwitch]

35. its mentioned in the SFgate article

but what i dont think was mentioned was that if it was an ectopic pregnancy, she would have had to get an abortion anyway.

still its very very sad.

triggery too. i need to stay out of this thread.

[booksenkatz]

13. Well, it's obvious

that the abortion pill is a total disaster and does nothing but harm women, so let's do the right thing here and go back to coathangers, which are much, much safer, right?

My sincere condolences to that girl and her family... and to the rest of us who live in America in 2003, whose reproductive freedom is in serious jeopardy.

[Democat]

16. How many women die from pregnancy complications?

Should getting pregnant be banned too?

[KCDem]

17. great, more ammo for Texas:

A new law is to go into effect Jan. 1st which requires women to wait 24 hours to get an abortion, during which they are given scare literature with false accusations, including the whole breast cancer-abortion "connection" (which is BS). Now, they'll probably add this to the list of things. :mad:

I feel bad for the girl, but there's a good chance it's just a coincidence. As others have pointed out, it is riskier to carry a child to term than to abort it.

[sham]

23. Ha! Like we NEED more ammo down here!

This state gets more *'ed up by the hour.

This is tragic and very horrible for the girl's family, but she participated in a medical procedure. EVERY medical procedure has risks. People have died while having plastic surgery! Why must every tragedy lead to an assault on our rights?

[elfwitch]

34. I second that...

It is getting so scary in this state.
I don't imagine it will be too long before there are roving bands of torch carrying thought police scouring the streets for violations. Any independent thought will be punishible by stoning.
It is a wacky place to be living right now.

[FlemingsGhost]

28. Aspirin can kill too, if ingested by the wrong person.

Same goes for any and all over-the-counter and prescription meds.

May Ms. Patterson rest in peace, and her father find closure.

[Jokerman]

29. Anecdotal Evidence

1. We don’t know if RU 486 contributed to her death.

2. Even if it’s proven conclusively that RU 486 caused her death, that doesn’t mean it should be banned. How many people have died from taking penicillin?