Why Initially Chemically-Induced Abortions Only?

By Randall K. Bannon. Ph.D.

A couple of days ago, you read my story about my trip to Portland, Oregon, where I saw Planned Parenthood’s new 42,000 square foot megaclinic (www.nrlc.org/News_and_Views/May10/nv051210.html).

One thing I noted was that despite the presence of ten medical examination rooms in the massive building, the clinic indicates [at least for the present] that it will not be doing surgical abortions on site, but will be offering chemical abortions.

Does the new Portland clinic’s claim that it only intends to provide chemical abortions mean that it is somehow less aggressive than other Planned Parenthood clinics? Hardly.

Women can still be referred to a Planned Parenthood clinic in the area where surgical abortions are performed. And if the Portland clinic decides to offer surgical abortions in the future, it certainly appears to have ample room for that.

But there are many reasons why the idea of offering only chemical abortions may seem more attractive to the Portland clinic.

The novelty of a new product attracts new customers. Many women turned off by the prospect of surgery imagine an abortion induced by a pill much easier (though in reality, one bleeds more from a chemical than a surgical abortion and the process is quite laborious, painful, and dangerous).

No special equipment is required. Clinics need not invest in special machines or instruments. The presence of a doctor may not be deemed necessary, so long as a nurse or clinician is operating under his or her authority in dispensing the pills. Both of these factors make it much easier to add to a clinic’s list of services.

In that the abortion usually does not take place until hours or days later, there is less mess, less “medical waste” for the clinic to have to take care of, as well as a reduced likelihood that they will have to directly deal with recovering patients who may be traumatized by their experience. Women undergoing violent uterine convulsions, bleeding profusely, possibly witnessing the expulsion of their tiny fetuses is very much a part of the standard chemical abortion, but this tends to happen somewhere far away from the clinic, in a woman’s home, at her workplace, on the bus.

If she does have troubles, she is more likely to go to her local E.R. or the surgical abortionist designated to handle complications.

All the clinic has to do is talk a woman through a couple of forms and hand her a couple of pills. A much easier way to earn a profit.

So it doesn’t mean that the clinic in Portland, or any other clinic advertising and offering only RU486, is any less committed to abortion. It may just be that they think they’ve found a more profitable way to package and promote an otherwise hugely unappealing product.

Be sure to send your comments to daveandrusko@gmail.com.