UHS will not offer abortion pill to students

By Krista Gullo

Daily Staff Reporter

While the University Health Service is still planning on not offering the controversial "abortion pill" RU-486, there are still local options for obtaining the drug.

Approved in September by the Food and Drug Administration, the drug now known as mifepristone, will be available in Michigan at the end of the month.

The specific guidelines concerning the distribution of mifepristone are the reason why UHS decided that they would not prescribe the controversial pill.

UHS Interim Director Robert Winfield said UHS plans to provide "options counseling" for students considering taking the drug.

The counseling would be a neutral non-moral review of the choices an individual has when she is pregnant. UHS will also refer women to further counseling such as Counseling and Psychological Services.

"The FDA made it clear that this drug will require a level of management which is beyond what we at the Health Services can do safely," Winfield said.

The FDA-approved terms state that a physician distributing mifepristone must be able to determine the length of pregnancy and detect any complications associated with the pregnancy. The physician must also be capable of providing 24-hours a day, seven-day a week care in the case of an incomplete abortion or severe hemorrhaging.

"Our position may disappoint some people but we need to act in a medically responsible fashion," Winfield said.

But some students contend that the University should make an effort to offer the drug. "I think they should eventually create the facility to offer it," LSA senior Carrie Williams said.

A lack of transportation, especially for freshman, will make mifepristone less accessible than if it was offered within walking distance at UHS, Williams said.

"It needs to be accessible so it is an option ... so as a society we adjust to it," Williams said.

Women's Choice of Ann Arbor, a health care clinic, is likely to be one of the first places in Ann Arbor to distribute mifepristone. "As soon as its available we will definitely be using it," said Paula Davis, office manager of Women's Choice.

The University Hospitals and Planned Parenthood of Ann Arbor are also planning to offer mifepristone, but they do not have a definite idea of when they will begin prescribing the pill.

Winfield said the only school in the Big Ten considering prescribing mifepristone is the University Wisconsin at Madison.

Scott Spear, clinical director at Wisconsin's University Health Services, said the question is whether prescribing mifepristone is a needed service when there are other abortion providers.

"Most Big Ten schools are in big cities and so universities won't be able to provide a lower cost or significant advantage to students by distributing mifepristone," Spear said, adding that if there was significant support from Wisconsin students, the school would probably offer mifepristone.

But Wisconsin is at a slight disadvantage for prescribing mifepristone, Spear said.

Other health centers such as the University's may have access to ultrasound equipment to determine the age of pregnancy, while Wisconsin does not.

Mifepristone terminates early pregnancy, of 49 days or less, when followed by a second pill misoprostol. About 14 days after taking the mifepristone a follow-up visit is required to determine that the abortion was successful.

'U' and RU-486

o The University Health Service will not offer the abortion pill.

o RU-486 will be available in Michigan by the end of October.

o UHS will provide non-moral based pregnancy counseling.