Ipas > Medical abortion expert in residence at Ipas

Medical abortion expert in residence at Ipas

October 2, 2008

Danielle Hassoun, current Ipas Expert in Residence

Ipas

On September 29, the Ipas Medical Abortion Initiative launched its Expert in Residence (EIR) program in Chapel Hill. The pilot program will feature accomplished professionals in medical abortion (MA) who will spend time at an Ipas office in order to share their knowledge and experience with Ipas staff and colleagues. The purpose is to stimulate new ideas and foster innovative thinking in the area of medical abortion, and provide formal and informal opportunities to learn from the expertise of diverse colleagues.

The first Expert in Residence is Dr. Danielle Hassoun, a French obstetrician-gynecologist who was involved in the world's first trials of mifepristone as a safe and effective abortion medication. In 1988, she helped introduce mifepristone in France, under the label RU-486. Since that time she has trained providers and provided technical assistance throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. Today she works to improve access to MA for vulnerable populations in France. Earlier this year, Dr. Hassoun spoke with A magazine from her home in Paris. The following are excerpts from that discussion; the complete interview can be read here.

When did you start working with medication abortion?

I have been involved with medication abortion from the very beginning. In 1982, I participated in the first studies in France. These were really the very first studies in the world of mifepristone for abortion. It was very exciting. At the time, I was the head of the abortion center in an obstetric and gynecology ward of a hospital. I called as soon as I heard that pharmaceutical companies were looking to do these studies.
What was in our thoughts was that women had been waiting a very long time for drugs like this. We were thinking that it was a miracle: just a pill could cause an abortion. The idea was so new, because we couldn’t even imagine that one day a pill would be an abortifacient. In a certain way it felt like a dream.

How did the study participants react?

The first women in the studies were very enthusiastic and proud to participate in this new opportunity. I remember the very first women were very much activists — they knew what they were doing was groundbreaking. It was quite courageous of them, as well as a fantastic challenge for doctors and providers.

What happened next?

Between 1982 and 1989 we worked on the studies with pharmaceutical companies. In 1988 the drugs were commercialized, and MA became much more routine. Starting in 1989, we proposed medication abortion to women as an alternative to vacuum aspiration. Since then, it has changed a lot, because in the very beginning women did not know about this method. Women did not know exactly what it was, so we had to propose and explain a lot. Now women know that the method exists, and they know that they can ask for it. Counseling is of course still a need for women so they can choose the best method for them. I think what we see in countries where MA is introduced is that in the beginning there is a very slow increase in use, and then it goes up very quickly when women learn about it.

What kinds of changes do you see coming in the future?

I think we will probably have newer, more efficient drugs at some point. Medication abortion is very efficient, but improvements could still be possible. I would say that medication abortion will be more and more under the control of women. Fifty years ago women were doing abortions alone by themselves in unsafe ways. It was very dangerous and difficult, but now they have the chance to do it at home under good conditions. Now the question is to be sure that women will still be able to receive help with this abortion. There may be a simplification of the regimen, but I want to be sure that she will not be alone.

For more information, contact:
Kirsten Sherk
Senior Associate, Media Relations
e-mail: sherkk@ipas.org
phone: 919.960.5612
fax: 919.929.0258