Drug prevents fetal implantation, Ewert says
PILLS from Page 1
The liability scare resulted from a Euro
pean case in the 1960s, he said, in which a
sedative called Thalidomide led to birth de
fects in children bom to mothers using the
drug. In these cases, it was not uncommon to
see babies bom without arms and legs, he said.
Ewert said that although no ‘ ‘ morning-after
pills” have been approved by the FDA, Pre
marin was chosen by the health center because
there are a “significant amount” of experts
who are using it in the same way.
He said Premarin probably can not cause an
abortion far into the first trimester, but taking
the drug during early fetal development can
cause fetal abnormality.
The female hormones in the drug can cause
improper sexual development in die fetus if
taken later in the first trimester. The hormones
can cause a male fetus to develop female as
well as male sexual organs, Ewert said.
These risks have led Crabb to require preg
nancy tests for women who wish to take the
drug, Crabb said. In some cases, women who
wish to take the drug have unknowingly been
pregnant for weeks due to previous inter*
course, he said. Testing for pregnancy elimi
nates the risk of administering Premarin during
the advanced stages of pregnancy, he said.
•It’s the moral Implica
tions that you do what
ever you feel like doing
and then just take a pul
to cause the abortion.'
—Ewert
Despite these risks, no pregnancy test is re
quired before administering the drug at the
health center, Ewert said. The decision to testa
patient for pregnancy is left up to the individual
physician based on information provided by
the patient on her menstrual cycle, he said.
Health center patients also are required to
sign a consent lorm that states the risks of
taking Premarin during more advanced stages
of pregnancy, he said. Many women do not
take the pregnancy test at the health center
because it is an additional expense, Ewert said.
Women who take Premarin usually are not
prepared to use birth control before inter
course, Ewert said. Many times, birth control is
against these women’s religious beliefs, lead
ing them to "go without," he said.
' ‘The women who come in for the morning
after pill have a guilty conscience," Ewert
said. "It’s a moral inconsistency we have."
While the health center does not have any
limit on how many times women can be pre
scribed Premarin, Ewert said he is reluctant to
prescribe it more than twice because of the high
normone levels involved.
“It’s the moral implications that you do
whatever you feel like doing, and then just take
a pill to cause the abortion, he said. * ‘You’re
making it real easy.’’
Crabb said Premarin has only superficial
similarities to the controversial French abor
tion-inducing pill, RU486.
While RU486 is capable of “wiping out’’
early implantation of the ovum in the uterus,
Premarin can only prevent this implantation,
he said.
Dr. David Grimes, a researcher in obstetrics
and gynecology at Women’s Hospital in Los
Angeles, said comparing Premarin to RU486 is
“like comparing rocket ships and apples.”
While Premarin is a natural estrogen supple
ment, RU486 is a synthetic anti^progestcrone,
he said.
The result of this difference is that Premarin
is effective only within the first few days after
conception, Grimes said. RU486, however,
can produce a miscarriage several weeks into a
pregnancy, he said.
—
_
Eng. Mechanic*223
Elec. Eng. 211
Physic* 212
Ag. Eng 22$
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Physics 212 ftaci
Speech Com. 108 l§- :
Eng. Mechanics 223
Math 208
Physics 212
Physics 212 Lab
Ag. Com. 200
Statistics 223
Eng. Mechanics ff7 3
Physics 211
Physics 211
Physics 220
Msth 107
Math 107
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Source: University Health Center. John Bruce/Daily Nebraskan I
Preventive measures proposed j
UPDATE from Page 1
home, they should sec their doctor.
If the doctor diagnoses the patient
with measles, the doctor must report
it to the health department.
“Then we follow up on the report
and suggest preventative measures”
to stop the disease from spreading, he
said.
Borden said the department would
employ the same measures taken by
the university to prevent the spread of
the epidemic, only on a smaller scale.
Ewert said one possible measles
case diagnosed late Wednesday is
still under examination.
Six UNL administrators are
honored for efforts in diversity
By Amie DeFrain
Staff Reporter
Six University of Ncbraska-Lin
coln administrators were honored
recently by the Afrikan People’s
Union for their efforts in advancing
cultural diversity on campus.
Recognized for their work were
James Gricscn, vice chancellor for
student affairs; Robert Furgason,
vice chancellor for academic affairs;
Brad Munn, affirmative action offi
cer; Jimmi Smith, director of multic
ultural affairs; Vaughn Robertson,
assistant director of student opportu
nities and services; and Paul Miles,
assistant to the vice chancellor for
student affairs.
Terry Goods, former APU presi
dent, presented each of the recipients
with a plaque during a meeting of the
Big Eight Council on Black Student
Government at the Nebraska Union.
Goods said that during his two
year term, he noticed that the six were
“sensitive” and “aware” of the
needs of minority students.
“They’ve shown presently and in
the past a great commitment to cul
tural diversity,” Goods said.
They also took an “extra step”
toward increasing the enrollment of
minority students at UNL, he said,
recruiting more minority faculty,
helping plan the Big Eight confer
ence, creating more scholarships for
minority students as well as working
closely with APU.
Smith said he feels honored to be
among those awarded.
"I would encourage other UNL
officials -- be they black or non-Afri
can in their heritage -- to reach out to
their students and help makte UNL >&
better place,” Smith said.
Munn said the six men have con -
tributed a lot of their time to the
betterment of the university and all
who attend.
4 ‘We are making sure that students
of all colors and backgrounds are
welcomed,” Munn said.
Munn said that winning the award
wasn’t what really mattered to him.
“If we make this a better place
while we’re here and for future gen
erations, that’s the real reward.”
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