Like it or not a pregnancy described in its most base form is a tumor - a space occupying lesion - with some potential to become a person.

Some people welcome this tumor but a whole lot do not - So I am not surprised at all when a bunch of people come up with new was to eradicate these types of growths.

The foundation for Tankard Reist is her unsubstantiated argument that women will not be adequately informed prior to use of Methotrexate.

Using emotive language like ‘tumour’ in place of pregnancy is an insult to the intelligence of women. It is transparent that her agenda is anti-abortion – she just lacks the honesty to admit it.

In seconds I was able to discover the facts on this treatment and the methodically of its use.

This method is not as effective as RU-486, it would not even need to be used if not for the suspicious delay in import of RU-486.

The facts are as follows:

1.In a Methotrexate Abortion, embryonic cells are stopped from dividing and multiplying and is a non-surgical method of ending pregnancy in its early stages. Within a few days or weeks of an injection of Methotrexate, the pregnancy ends through an experience similar to an early miscarriage.

2.It has been successfully used since 1982 in a single dose to treat ectopic (tubal) pregnancies (where the fertilized egg is embedded in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus).

3.When used in early pregnancy Methotrexate safely and effectively induces abortion 90-97% of the time.

4.Possible side-effects of Methotrexate include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, sores in the mouth, headache, dizziness, insomnia, and vaginal bleeding. Except for nausea, THESE SIDE EFFECTS ARE UNUSUAL FOR THE SINGLE DOSE GIVEN TO INDUCE ABORTION.

Studies show MTX abortion has a failure rate of 1-10%.

Eligibility for MTX

• Less than six weeks gestation by ultrasound
• Willing and able to give informed consent
• Have access to reliable transportation and telephone
• Live no more than two hours from emergency medical care
• Agrees to come back to the clinic for two to three follow up visits
• Agrees to have surgical abortion if the drug does not induce termination
• Agrees to avoid sexual intercourse until abortion is complete

Full info available at: http://www.fwhc.org/abortion/mtxinfo.htm

No doubt this thread will degenerate into an anti-choice rant, rather than a debate over safe, effective and suitable methods for all women to control their fertility.

if it has to be a part of society, this way is the best way but it should not be an over the counter drug, it should be enacted in a supervised abortion clinic.

This should never be done lightly and in most cases i am sure it is not. why cant we transfer the unwanted future child instead to incubators and grow them for adoptive parents. everyone wins then.

The word Tumour is a perfectly accurate way of describing a pregnacy - emotion does not come into it - while many definitions of tumor refer to it as an abnormal growth of cells many just refer to a "growth" of cells - it is a perfectly good synonym - particularly if you are keen to have it purged from your body.

and the author has every right to be sceptical about the level of information women might get about the treatment - informed consent is not the strongest suit of health professionals.

In response to sneeke:
A lesion is a wound, injury or disease causing change in body tissue.
Alternately it can be any visable,local, abnormality of skin tissue.

An embryo or foetus is not a lesion.

Lesions can be caused by tumors but they are not the same thing.

A Tumor is a progressive *unregulated*, cell growth. The growth of a foetus is *highly regulated*. Hence a foetus is not a tumor either.

I don't want others to be misled by misuse of these terms.

Here is a New Zealand government health site, because people should be informed. It's a New Zealand site, but a bit closer to home than scouts American link.
http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Profs/datasheet/l/Ledertrexatetab.htm

This discussion is not about whether abortions are right or wrong.
This is about whether a medical abortion is preferable to a surgical one. I'm yet to be convinced it is.

Husmusen.

Husmusen is correct.

Please do not use the word Tumor'. Parasite may be a better word.