Making Abortion Less Accessible

* On June 24, the House of Representatives took one more step in its relentless agenda to make abortion less available, less safe and less effective--even very early abortions.

It voted to prohibit the Food and Drug Administration from approving any drug that induces medical abortion, including mifepristone (RU 486). RU 486 works by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is needed to sustain pregnancy.

Advances in medical research have made such drugs available so that a woman can terminate a pregnancy medically, rather than surgically, and at a much earlier point in pregnancy and with much less risk to her health. To deny access to such drugs is unethical and irresponsible.

The anti-choice members of Congress, including Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach), Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), Ron Packard (R-Vista), Jay C. Kim (R-Diamond Bar) and Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), all voted to ban the FDA’s approval of RU 486-style drugs.

They are grasping at every opportunity to engage in divisive battles over a woman’s right to control her private reproductive decisions and to intervene in the drug-safety standards of the FDA.

Until the day comes when we have contraception that is 100% effective and is available to everyone, we should welcome medical advances that make abortion safer and allow people to make responsible choices about their lives.

Congress is out of step with the American public, and it’s time for a change in our congressional representatives.

JON DUNN

CEO and President

Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties

Orange