Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 April 2021
Although RU 486 has been the subject of extensive research and media coverage, in the United States the actual clinical use of the drug remains largely a theoretical possibility. California is the site of the only American clinical research on the use of RU 486 for termination of early pregnancy, and the California state legislature has adopted a strongly-worded resolution in favor of the testing and use of RU 486 in the state. However, the degree of physician awareness, the nature of physician opinion and the potential use patterns of this drug remain speculative.
To gain a better picture of what the physicians most likely to utilize RU 486 think about the drug, licensed California obstetricians and gynecologists were surveyed regarding their opinions about RU 486. The physicians were queried about their general awareness of the history of RU 486, their level of confidence in the existing data regarding the drug and their possible plans to administer the drug clinically if it were to become available.