What happens when a sidewalk counselor meets a woman outside an abortion mill who's just taken RU-486?

The question haunts Ed Szymkowiak-and it's done so ever since the Food and Drug Administration okayed the RU-486 abortion regimen. "What happens," he asked, "if the counselor convinces this woman that she's taken pills that will kill her baby? What happens if the woman changes her mind? Is it too late? What can the counselor do?"

Szymkowiak is the national director of Stop Planned Parenthood International, an American Life League division. He and the ALL staff have been asking that question all around the world in the weeks since the government announced its decision.

No one ever asked before

Perhaps because the question has never been adequately addressed, the answers thus far have not been encouraging. It seems that in the clinical history of mifepristone (the pharmaceutical name for RU-486), there has simply been no demand for an antidote to this life-ending poison.

"There's none that I'm aware of," said Bogomir Kuhar, Pharm.D., president of Pharmacists for Life International. Pumping out the contents of the stomach or inducing vomiting might work. But as more time passes after the woman ingests the pills, the possibility of success decreases.

Pro-life Australian pharmacist and author John Wilks agrees, and the lack of research on this topic confirmed his fears. "I did a search on Medline covering the years 1990-2000 using the search terms mifepristone and antagonist, then mifepristone and antidote," he said, "and there were no papers listed."

Second drug, second question

An RU-486 abortion is actually a two-drug process, and the administration of mifepristone is only part of it. Mifepristone is designed to kill the baby. A second drug, Cytotec (or misoprostol), is taken several days later to expel the child from the uterus. That also raises questions from STOPP's Szymkowiak: "What if the woman does not go back for the Cytotec? Is it too late to save her child?"

Wilks says the research is inconclusive. "Depending on the study you read, mifepristone induces abortions in 50 to 94 percent of women whose pregnancies are less than 55 days," he said. Variables in the studies make it difficult to draw any conclusions. But Wilks adds that, according to another study, "in several case reports, pregnancies not successfully aborted with mifepristone continued to full term with no adverse effects on the newborn."

Kuhar cautions, however, that there is no guarantee of a positive outcome. "There will be decreased chemical abortion 'success,' and probably more surgical abortions," he said. "I imagine some babies will survive, albeit with a population which may experience congenital abnormalities."

First step: Education

Pro-Life Wisconsin hopes its education campaign will convince women to reject RU-486 abortions outright. This organization, an American Life League associate group, is busily distributing information and detailed strategy for educating physicians and community members about the deadly effects of the drug combination.

"We're committed to providing people with what they need to keep this human pesticide out of their communities," said Peggy Hamill of Pro-Life Wisconsin.

"You can't just pop a pill and end a pregnancy," she said. "It's wrought with physical, emotional and psychological consequences. We're going to do our part to make sure that the abortion industry doesn't succeed in deceiving even more women."

Not just physical damage

But already, chemical abortions (and there are other varieties besides the RU-486 regimen) are claiming preborn babies-and inflicting deep emotional scars on mothers.

It's the emotional and psychological damage that pro-life pregnancy counselor Brad Imler, Ph.D., fears the most. "With surgical abortions, the woman does not see the baby. With RU-486, she passes the baby and witnesses the abortion at home. Secondly, she has to go through the physical act of flushing the child away. She is now the one taking the pills and flushing the child away. It is not the doctor, but rather it is she herself. Subsequently, she will probably have stronger emotions of guilt, shame and personal responsibility."

For Theresa Karminski Burke, Ph.D., of Rachel's Vineyard, the American Life League division that conducts retreats for healing after abortion, speculation abounds as to what else could result from the use of this drug.

"The psychodynamics of in-gesting a poisonous killing substance will inevitibly lead to eating disorders for some women." In addition, there is the very real problem that this trauma will now take place directly in the home. "We know, from the study of abortion trauma, that many women cope by avoidance and dissociation from any person, place, sound or smell that reminds them of the trauma. What will become of the home when it becomes a connector to the loss of one's child? Each visit to the bathroom could become a possible trigger for re-traumatization. The cramping she may experience while lying on her bed as her child dies-what will the effect be on the woman who sleeps or is sexually intimate in that same bed?" asked Dr. Burke.

All these things can become possible connectors to the trauma, she said, and the woman will not be able to avoid it.

Another major problem Dr. Burke forsees is the re-enactment of the trauma. Women will likely end up taking these pills over and over again in an attempt to master unresolved feelings associated with the original abortion. Repetions and re-enactments are well known indicators of trauma. "I have studied a similar problem associated with women who undergo multiple surgical abortions," she said.

Medical research is critical

Dr. Imler said an antidote to this poison is a must. Pro-life researchers should be encouraged to work on it, he said, and pro-life counselors will need to know how to access it quickly when it becomes available.

In the mean time, Dr. Imler advises pro-lifers to continue their educational efforts, especially when it comes to educating themselves. "Sidewalk counselors must be trained to deal with the whole gamut, and that includes the many aspects of the RU-486 abortion regimen," said Dr. Imler. "The key is training, training, training. And that includes addressing the physical, psychological, relational, and, most of all, spiritual effects of abortion "

"With RU-486 we are perhaps coming full circle in a process that began with the introduction of the contraceptive mentality into our hearts and minds," said Dr. Burke. "With RU-486, we see contraceptive practice and abortion collaborate to desecrate our relationships and now even our homes, which become domestic abortion clinics. Ongoing education on the effects of RU-486 is essential. However, we must be aware that the greatest weapon against the culture of death is prayer to the Lord of Life."

David Brandao, Judie Brown, Cathy Brown and Mark DeYoung of the American Life League staff contributed to this article.