The woman said yes, and Gomperts handed her five white pills: one mifepristone (what used to be called RU-486) and four misoprostol. “Miso,” as it is often called, has been used around the world in various ways, including to treat postpartum hemorrhages and to prevent ulcers. In many countries, it is stocked on pharmacy shelves primarily for these ailments. Women desperate to end a pregnancy often have no way of knowing that the right dosage of this readily accessible drug can also be used to trigger a miscarriage.
