Take Action: Women's Health & Mifepristone
Download & Print this
Mifepristone Action Sheet
Know Your Campus Health Center
Take action to improve women’s health services on campus!
Conduct a survey of your campus health center, using the enclosed
questionnaire as a guide. Knowing what services your campus health
center provides will help you determine how your group can effectively
improve health services for women on campus. Consult with the Medical
Director of your campus health center, as well as pro-choice health
care providers at your campus health center. When you have completed
your survey, publicize your findings on campus.
Download the Prescribe
Choice Campus Health Center Survey, apply it to your campus, and
tell us the results
Join FMF’s Campaign to Increase Funding for Mifepristone
Research
Petition for federal funding for research on the other medical
uses of mifepristone and to keep mifepristone on the market for
early abortion. Contact the Campus Team to receive FMF petitions
to send to President Bush and the Department of Health and Human
Services.
Petition
Bush, HHS, FDA and NIH to support Safe Medical Abortion, Increase
Mifepristone Research Funding
Affect Campus Health Center Policy
Using the results of your campus health center survey, choose
two or three issues to address and organize a campaign to increase
women’s health services on campus. Work with feminist faculty
and administrators on campus, along with providers at your campus
health center to learn everything you can about health center’s
official processes for changing policies and internal politics.
This will help your group to develop the best possible strategy
for approaching the campus health center about improving and/or
offering more services for women.
Strategies might include several of the following: setting up an
appointment with your campus health center’s Medical Director,
meeting with pro-choice health care providers at your campus health
center, organizing a petition drive, planning visibility
events, writing letters to the editor of your campus and community
newspapers, rallying your campus through speak-outs, and
holding follow-up meetings with appropriate health center or
administrative policy makers. Remember, changing campus policy
can take time, so set realistic goals and work closely with your
Campus Organizer throughout your campaign to maximize your efforts!
Publicize Locations Where Women Can Access Mifepristone
Locate local abortion providers that offer mifepristone
and publicize this information on campus. You can find local providers
by calling the National Abortion Federation hotline at 1-800-722-9100
or call Planned Parenthood’s hotline at 1-800-230-PLAN. Mifepristone
information is available online at earlyoptions.org.
Health Centers Do Not Need Ultra-Sound Equipment to Offer Mifepristone
The FDA requires that mifepristone providers be able to accurately
date a pregnancy and diagnose ectopic pregnancies. Many doctors
and clinics wrongfully believe that ultrasound equipment is needed
to date a pregnancy, but the FDA does not require it. In actuality,
gynecologists, internists, and nurse practitioners are all qualified
to date a pregnancy by conducting a pelvic exam. In one study, researchers
found that over 90% of women could accurately date their own pregnancy
when provided with appropriate information (Population Council,
Harper et. al, 2001). Ectopic (tubal) pregnancies account for less
than 2% of all pregnancies and while it is optimal to use an ultra-sound
machine for diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy, it is not necessary.
If your reproductive health care providers have questions or concerns
about administering mifepristone, have them contact the National
Abortion Federation (NAF) at 202-667-5881. NAF is the professional
association for abortion providers in the United States and Canada.
Mifepristone Resources
Feminist.org
FMF’s award winning website includes comprehensive information
and resources on mifepristone and the twelve year campaign FMF led
to make mifepristone available to women in the United States.
EarlyOptionPill.com
EarlyOptionPill.com is the website of Danco Laboratories, which
markets Mifeprex (the trade name for mifepristone) in the United
States. Their site contains information on mifepristone and its
uses, as well as instructions on how to get Mifeprex.
Earlyoptions.org
This site is administered by the National Abortion Federation (NAF)
to educate health care professionals about mifepristone. The site
also contains information for women considering medical abortion.
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