Etienne–Emile Baulieu, who was pivotal in discovering the abortion pill, RU-486, describes how surgical abortions can be difficult and dangerous for women:
“In theory, a woman could drop into a clinic at 8 o’clock and, after an hour’s rest following the procedure, go on her way without another thought to her pregnancy. But it doesn’t always work like that. She may begin hemorrhaging because of tissue left behind, or she may suffer the sharp pain of a perforation. Infection may set in, causing later distress and, in extreme cases, infertility. Even when the medical process is flawless, few women can simply shrug off the procedure. Any instrumental abortion is an intrusion. Physically, it is an operation and may leave a scar. Psychologically, it is an invasion of the most intimate reaches of a woman’s body.”
Etienne–Emile Baulieu The “Abortion Pill” (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990) 15
Women would later discover that abortion by pill may be even more traumatic than abortion by surgery. Read some stories here.
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