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2023 NOV 16 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Women's Health Weekly -- Fresh data on Biotechnology - Cancer Gene Therapy are presented in a new report. [...]

2019 JUL 6 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Researchers detail new data in Biotechnology - Gene Therapy. According to news [...]

For some time now, pro-abortion organizations have been falsely stating that abortion pill reversal [APR] is 'junk science.' The Washington Postjoined the American Medical Association (AMA) in amplifying this claim [...]

Despite efforts by abortion advocates and some medical groups to discredit abortion pill reversal [APR], the number of unborn lives saved from the clutches of RU-486 continues to increase. One [...]

Outpatients undergoing early uterine evacuations in your office require a safe environment and a clinician with a thorough knowledge of the medical and surgical techniques. This practical review provides protocols [...]

The authors have evaluated the efficacy, follow-up rates and side-effect profile in women undergoing medical abortion in a nonresearch setting. Results have demonstrated that medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol, and methotrexate and misoprostol can be efficient in a nonresearch setting.

With mifepristone now approved in the United States for use in early medical abortion, researchers are moving forward in investigating the drug for other areas of women's health, including contraception [...]

Before a vacuum aspiration abortion is performed, the cervix is usually primed, or treated with an agent to soften and dilate it. This controlled, randomized study compares mifepristone (RU 486) with gemeprost, a commonly used priming agent. Ninety women were randomly assigned to take either mifepristone or a placebo (inactive) drug 36 hours before surgery, or to receive a gemeprost one-milligram vaginal pessary a few hours before surgery. Subjects' symptoms were evaluated when the drugs were given and just before surgery began. Postoperative complications were noted. More women in the gemeprost group than either the placebo or the mifepristone group experienced abdominal pain, and fewer women in that group remained without symptoms. Mifepristone produced the greatest baseline cervical dilatation and resulted in the need for the least amount of force to dilate the cervix further. However, this difference when compared with gemeprost was not statistically significant. Both drug groups had less blood loss than the placebo group. No differences between the gemeprost and mifepristone groups were seen in the extent of postoperative complications. Mifepristone, an oral preparation, had few side effects. Further studies of its effectiveness in cervical priming should be carried out. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

The incidence of tubal pregnancy, pregnancies in which the embryo implants in the Fallopian tubes rather than the uterus, has increased greatly. This is partially due to improved diagnostic methods and to increases in underlying causes, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, conservative surgery for tubal pregnancies, and in vitro fertilization techniques. Consequently, tubal pregnancies have become less life-threatening, especially when early diagnosis is made. Treatment has thus evolved with the aim of decreasing the need for drastic surgery and decreasing postsurgical complications and recovery time. This article reviews the nonsurgical methods that are available to treat tubal pregnancy. Minimizing or avoiding surgery decreases the risk of adhesions, so that the fertility rate is likely to be higher. Certain medications can stop the growth and development of embryo cells, which then can be absorbed by the body. These drugs can be given systemically and locally. Methotrexate is the prime example of such medications. It has been used to treat leukemias, and acts by preventing the production of compounds essential for cell growth. A review of reports about methotrexate use indicates that criteria for patient selection are important for successful treatment. Actinomycin D and RU 486 (mifepristone) are two other drugs that have also been administered systemically, and the few reports of their uses are discussed. To decrease side effects of these medications, investigators have studied local administration of methotrexate, potassium chloride, and prostaglandins. Ultrasound or laparoscopy (visualization of the abdominal cavity with a small scope or tube) have been used to guide placement of the drugs. Perhaps medical treatments should not be started unless levels of the hormone associated with viable pregnancies increase. Studies that directly compare these nonsurgical methods of treatment are needed. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Termination of pregnancy can be achieved by mechanically dilating the cervix (the opening to the uterus) and using vacuum aspiration to remove the uterine contents. There is a risk of tearing the cervical tissue and perforating the wall of the uterus when surgical instruments are used. Furthermore, if the opening of the cervix is not adequate, hemorrhage and incomplete abortion can result. If the cervix can be prepared before mechanical manipulation, the risk of these complications can be reduced. Two types of cervical 'ripening' agents are currently used. Prostaglandins, which relax smooth muscle and help induce labor, can be inserted in the vagina to soften and dilate the cervical opening. The other agents, such as Laminaria, slowly dilate the cervix over time. The drug mifepristone (RU 486) inhibits the action of progesterone (a hormone required to maintain pregnancy) and is used in some countries in pill form to induce abortion. Mifepristone can also be used to prepare the cervix for surgical termination of pregnancy. To determine whether mifepristone is useful in ripening the cervix, 230 women were given 0, 25, 50 or 100 milligrams (mg) of mifepristone prior to surgical terminations; those given 0 mg of the drug received an inert placebo instead. Mifepristone was useful in achieving cervical dilation (women given the drug were 0.9 to 1.2 millimeters more dilated than women given placebo) prior to termination, but the amount of dilation was not related to the dose. The resistance of the inserted catheter was judged by the surgeon based on whether the dilator was spontaneously expelled. The women who did not receive mifepristone had smaller cervical diameters and had a higher catheter resistance than the women receiving the drug. The dilation was judged to be easier in the mifepristone-prepared women, and greater dilation was reported with the higher doses. Only two out of 54 women receiving 100 mg mifepristone experienced bleeding prior to the procedure. Overall, no side-effects were experienced by the women who received mifepristone. The amount, duration, and character of postoperative bleeding and the time until the next menstrual period were the same in the treated and placebo groups. Although mifepristone appears to be useful as a cervical ripening agent prior to surgical termination of pregnancy, the safety and efficacy must be compared with that of conventional cervical ripening agents before mifepristone can be considered for routine use. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Issues concerning health aspects of the abortion drug RU-486 are discussed, with focus on its use in slowing down the development of brain, ovarian or breast tumors. The cases of three women who have benefitted from the use of the drug are presented.

New review focuses on emergency contraception When it comes to emergency contraception (EC), what does your clinic offer? A new review has found that mifepristone is the most effective EC [...]

The cervix of the uterus must be prepared before surgical termination of pregnancy (abortion). The technique of 'ripening' the cervix entails dilating the opening of the uterus and softening the surrounding tissue. Ripening can be accomplished by manipulating the cervix with drugs, hormones, vibration, heat, instruments and acupuncture. Prostaglandins, which are hormone-like agents, and manipulative surgical dilators are painful. The drug RU-486 (mifepristone) is a drug that blocks the action of the hormone progesterone (antiprogesterone). The drug is used in other countries to induce abortions, and has been termed the abortion pill. To see if RU-486 is useful in ripening the cervix before surgical termination of pregnancy, 11 pregnant volunteers were studied. The patients selecting surgical pregnancy termination had the cervical diameter measured before and after oral administration of 600 mg of RU-486. Cervical ripening was achieved in all 11 patients, with an average increase in diameter of 13 percent. One patient had vaginal bleeding 36 hours after administration. Ultrasonographic evaluation revealed a viable fetus. There were no adverse reactions following administration of RU-486 or complications following the pregnancy termination. The antiprogesterone RU-486 is useful in preparing the cervix before surgical termination of pregnancy. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Two doctors who have examined over 600 reports of 'adverse events' among U.S. women who have taken RU486 say they have found not only a dangerous pattern of problems among [...]

The FDA is investigating recently reported serious adverse events associated with Mifeprex (mifepristone), also known as RU-486. As a result, the FDA has issued a public health advisory highlighting the [...]

Update: FDA strengthens mifepristone labeling The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened the warning information on the labeling for the abortion drug mifepristone. The labeling change is in response [...]

Expert Advice on Health and Fitness `What's the difference between the abortion pill and the morning-after pill? ABORTION PILL & MORNING-AFTER PILL Q I am a 24-year-old woman who is [...]

Faced with the undeniable fact that there is often considerable bleeding among women who use RU486 to induce an abortion, those who successfully sought approval of this two-drug chemical abortion [...]

Une fois de plus, le ministère de la Santé du Canada remet à plus tard sa décision d'approuver ou non la pilule abortive, la mifépristone, couramment appelée RU-486. Ce médicament, [...]