While attempts have been made to encourage Olin Health Center to offer RU-486, officials say the clinic isn’t qualified to make the abortion drug available.
Members of ASMSU, the university’s undergraduate student government, met with Olin Director Dr. Glynda Moorer in February, encouraging her to consider offering RU-486 at the health center.
But despite requests, Moorer said there is nothing to consider when it comes to offering the drug.
“It wasn’t something we really even talked about once we saw what the requirements were,” she said.
In order to provide the drug, clinics must be able to provide surgical intervention in the case of an incomplete abortion, offer 24-hour service to patients who take the drug and diagnose an ectopic pregnancy - a pregnancy that develops outside of the uterus.
Moorer said Olin is not able to offer any of these services, but the main reason for not offering the drug is the clinic’s inability to provide 24-hour care.
“When you perform surgery on someone, for an abortion or otherwise, you need to have someone available at all times in case of emergencies,” she said. “You at least need to have backup provisions made for someone to be on-call.”
As an outpatient clinic, Moorer said surgery is not available at Olin and there is not a way to provide 24-hour care. With these qualifications, Moorer said Olin will not be able to offer RU-486 unless there is an extreme change in the format of the clinic.
And funding would be a problem.
“The cost of something like that would be exorbitant,” Moorer said. “It is not possible to spend so much money on something that would benefit just a few students.”
And Devon Hill, president of the campus pro-choice group Voices for Choices, said while she thinks the drug should be more accessible for college students, she understands and respects the choices Moorer and other Olin officials have made.
“There are underlying morality issues with a drug like this,” the political science senior said. “I respect their decision to not want to rock the boat with people on campus.”
Hill, though, said she would like to work with Moorer on providing the most up-to-date and accurate information to patients who come to Olin seeking RU-486 but are turned away.
She also said she hopes to set up a shuttle system and other services that will help women get to clinics where they can get abortions.
Meanwhile, Joy Yearout, co-chairwoman of the pro-life campus group Students for Life, said she knows Olin is not qualified to offer the drug and doesn’t believe there ever should be an attempt to make the drug accessible.
“I know I would have a problem with my tuition money going to fund abortions and I know other people would as well,” said Yearout, a James Madison freshman, who believes the health center might also be steering clear of RU-486 to avoid controversy.
“They know abortion is controversial and they don’t want to voluntarily step into the middle of the controversy.”
Though the drug won’t be available at MSU, students seeking the pill have other options.
As a provider of surgical abortions, Planned Parenthood of Mid-Michigan in Ann Arbor is able to offer RU-486. But unlike Olin, the requirements of an RU-486 provider were already met by the clinic before it began offering the drug.
Lori Lamerand, vice president for Medical Services for the organization, said the Ann Arbor Planned Parenthood often accepts referrals from clinics like Olin, where RU-486 is not available.
“It’s certainly not the best choice for every woman,” Lamerand said. “But anytime there is another alternative for women we applaud that.”
Amy E. Stanton can be reached at stanto32@msu.edu.
