Women may have one less option for how they choose to deal with an unwanted pregnancy.

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, (R-Maryland), first proposed passage of “Holly’s Law” in 2003, which would force the Food and Drug Administration to suspend RU-486, otherwise known as “the abortion pill.”

The name “Holly’s Law” refers to 18-year-old Holly Patterson of California. Patterson took RU-486 to terminate her pregnancy and died as a result.

The bill, which has 79 co-sponsors, responds to 10 deaths resultant of RU-486, four of which died of a bacterial blood infection medically termed Clostridium sordelli.

We Care Pregnancy Center, 403 N. Fifth St., strictly deals with educating women on all possible options. Should the legislation pass, Katie Mehne, the executive director for the center, said RU-486 would simply be omitted from the list of options.

“We’re not a medical facility, so we don’t dispense it,” Mehne said. “Right now, we do educate them about the abortion pill if they’re interested in having information about it. If it’s not legal, then we wouldn’t talk about it.”

Mehne indicated RU-486’s implications as a matter the facility does not take lightly.

“One thing we do tell women is that they have to be really knowledgeable about the possible consequences,” she said. “At least 10 women in our country have died. Some women have almost bled to death. It’s pretty dangerous.”

RU-486 prevents a woman’s body from producing pregnancy-sustaining hormones. It consists of two pills, together comprising what is called the Mifeprex regimen. On the first day, the woman takes 200 milligrams of mifepristone, with 200 milligrams of misoprostol to be taken on the third day. The mifepristone, an antiprogestin, binds itself to the uterine wall, specifically to the progesterone receptors, to block the natural production of progesterone. The uterine lining begins to shed, similar to a typical menstrual cycle.

The woman experiences light contractions as her cervix expands to help the body expel the embryo. The misoprostol is a prostaglandin pill, which dilates the cervix and causes it to soften. Contractions of the uterus begin, opening the window for which the embryo is ultimately expelled, typically between four and 24 hours. Side effects of the regimen include deep cramps and heavy bleeding. FDA approval of the regimen spans to 49 days after the woman’s last menstrual cycle, this is before a clinical abortionist is recommended to step in.

According to Sharon Emanuelson, director of marketing and public relations for Kishwaukee Community Hospital, women requesting RU-486 can’t receive the medication through the hospital.

“Our doctors of emergency medicine have a policy that they do not administer RU-486,” she said. “They would refer someone to their primary care, which would be a family doctor.”

The FDA declined comment regarding legislation.

“The FDA announcement that it has received reports from the manufacturer that two more women have died after RU-486 abortions with symptoms similar to Holly Patterson demonstrates why Congress must pass Holly’s Law, HR 1079, and pull this dangerous abortion drug from the U.S. market,” said Bartlett in a statement released March 17.