FAILED attempts to induce abortion using an ulcer drug called misoprostol may
be causing a minor epidemic of birth defects around the world. Misuse of the
drug is increasingly common where abortion is not freely available.
In Colombia, Brazil and the Philippines, the drug is readily available on the
black market. An informal survey by Â鶹´«Ã½ has also revealed
that clandestine abortions with the drug are taking place in the Dominican
Republic, Argentina, Spain, Nigeria, South Africa and Indonesia.
In Britain and the US, doctors prescribing the abortion drug RU486 also give
misoprostol to induce contractions, although it’s not…
