Mifeprex

mifepristone

Mifeprex (mifepristone) is an oral tablet given for the termination of pregnancy and is commonly known as the “abortion pill” or the “morning after drug.” Developed in Europe and known there as RU-486, Mifeprex was approved for sale in the U.S. in 2000 and has since been used in more than 560,000 medical abortions in the U.S.

Mifeprex works by blocking progesterone, a hormone essential to maintain a pregnancy. When progesterone is suppressed, the lining of the uterus softens and then disintegrates. Two days after Mifeprex is taken, the patient is given a dose of Misoprostol, which induces contractions in the womb. The patient then expels the lining of the uterus and the early embryo, a process known as a medical abortion.

Mifeprex has several well-known side effects, including heavy bleeding and cramping that may persist as long as 9-16 days. In as many as 1 out of 100 women, which accounts for 5% of the female population, the bleeding may be severe enough to require a surgical procedure known as cutterage. In the serious death cases reported with Mifeprex, women died from septic shock after taking Mifeprex.

A serious bacterial infection is one that spreads through the body and is considered to have the potential to threaten the life of a patient. In rare cases, severe bacterial infection can lead to septic shock or death.

Septic shock is the medical term for the condition of a patient’s body as a result of an overwhelming systemic bacterial infection. The patient’s system is literally in a state of shock from decreased blood pressure and blood flow in the body. Septic shock, or sepsis, is a medical emergency because the body’s vital organs such as the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and liver will not function properly and can fail.