In Brief: Abortion kit

Executive Summary

Abortion kit: FDA halts promotion of home abortion and self-sterilization kits marketed through the Internet. The self-sterilization kit uses the unapproved drug quinacrine, and the abortion kit uses an unapproved combination of methotrexate and misoprostol (Searle's Cytotec). In a June 17 "Talk Paper," FDA states that use of the kits without a physician's supervision could lead to heavy vaginal bleeding, abnormal pregnancies and birth defects, permanent damage to reproductive organs and death. Although FDA does not know who is responsible for the products, it has removed promotional materials from the Internet by contacting the Web site's server...