LAT: Abortion Pill Investigated in Four California Deaths

[DeepModem Mom]

Abortion Pill Investigated in Four California Deaths
The FDA warns patients as federal, state and L.A. County agencies try to trace deadly infections.

By Maria L. La Ganga, Times Staff Writer


Health officials are investigating whether there are any links in the cases of four California women — at least two in Los Angeles County — who have died since 2003 of massive infection after taking the so-called abortion pill, RU-486, and a follow-up drug.

The state and federal probe follows an announcement last month by the Food and Drug Administration, after the June death of a Sherman Oaks woman, warning doctors and patients of the potential for serious bacterial infection under certain circumstances.

At the heart of the inquiry in California are why and how the deadly infections developed and whether more women might have been harmed.

"That's something we don't have an explanation for right now," said Dr. L. Clifford McDonald, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is investigating the deaths along with the Food and Drug Administration, the California Department of Health Services and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

The FDA is also working with the makers of the two drugs to see if they were contaminated with an unusual bacterium found in the bloodstream of two of the women who died. Complicating matters, neither woman showed all of the usual symptoms of an infection....


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-abortion15aug15,1,6829802,full.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true

[MaineDem]

1. Don't confuse this with Emergency Contraception (EC)

The FDA is due to rule on letting pharmacists dispense Plan B/EC without a doc's prescription later this month. I'm afraid people will use articles like this to condemn the idea and it's not the same drug at all.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Thanks for making this important point, MaineDem. nt

[uppityperson]

3. Contaminated medicine is the problem, NOT drug effect

That would be very nice, being able to get Plan B/EC/Morning After Pill without an Rx. If anyone needs it now, there are ways without a prescription, but not readily available. Of course, pharmacists of some mindsets will refuse to prescribe it, but still it will be better than it is now.

[Megahurtz]

4. The Right-Wingnuts will

take off with this one if they get away with it.

But if they pursue this it's fair that we take away their Viagra or else they will go blind.

:rofl: