There is an excellent quick review at The Well-Timed Period, where some real facts are introduced.
While the DeMint press release is chocked full of half truths and misapplied stats, the one that I find most interesting is the whole last paragraph.
The reported risk of death associated with RU-486 is ten times greater the risk associated with surgical abortions. The death rate associated with surgical abortion is one in a million. By contrast, the reported risk of death associated with RU-486 is higher than one in 100,000.
It appears that the fine folks in DeMints office decided to quote the numbers that best helped their case, while ignoring the rest.
Lets start with the RU-486 mortality number, there is still study needed here, and some of the adverse effects appear to come from improper use of the meds, but even then, the real number is about 1 in 110,000 (not less than 100,00 are DeMint claims). As for regular abortions, well on the whole, they are 1 in 1 in 142,000 ( not 1 in 1,000,000 ).... and there is one other fact that his office left off the memo that is very telling: The risk of death in pregnancy is 1 in 8700. Making it a far riskier proposition than either RU-486, or surgical abortion.
Yet, somehow, that little fact is not mentioned at all.
No wonder so many people in SC prefer his nickname when refering to him, Sen. DimWit.
hat tip to pharyngula
4 comments:
Jim DeMint has given this state a lot of grief in the Senate. I have opposed DeMint from the start and this just proves how incapable of good decision making he is. How does this state continue to elect these people?
Nick, have you ever met anyone in South Carolina? You wouldn't have to ask the question.
since France delveloped the drug and have been using it for quite a while, it might be interesting to read this study:
The RU 486 story: the French experience.
and this from ReligiousTolerance.org
THE RU-486 ABORTION PILL
Safety of RU-486, when compared to other abortion methods
i wish we could get DeMented DeMint out of politics. but first, we need to find someone to run against Sen Graham in 2008. has anyone heard who might that be??
--- Peg
Heh, I've only gone through the first 1/3 of his remarks. There is so much misinformation that I had to do two more posts (I'll post them shortly) on his 17 paragraph remarks. He lies about the mechanism of action, the 2 drug regimen, the FDA approval, the side effects, etc.
It's hard to believe a Senator would feel free to lie on the record like that. It's also hard to believe that the other 93 Senators present didn't feel the need to challenge Sen. DeMint, and that none voted against his amendment.
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