A RECENT ARTICLE ("RU-486 will transform abortion debate," Commentary, Jan. 2) included misinformation that could lure the public into falsely concluding that this dangerous drug provides a simple, easy abortion.

Commonly called the "abortion pill," RU-486 aborts an unborn child in a lengthy, painful and psychologically difficult process. Although this abortion drug may soon be legal in the United States, confusion remains about how it works. It is important that the myths surrounding RU-486 be dispelled.

Myth No. 1: RU-486 is easier than a surgical abortion.

While swallowing a pill is easier than a 10-minute surgical abortion, that is the only easy part of the drawn-out, multidrug, multiple-visit RU-486 procedure that can take weeks to complete.

During the patient's first visit, a comprehensive medical exam must be performed. Because of decreasing "effectiveness" of the drugs as the baby grows (RU-486 should not be given past the seventh week of pregnancy), careful dating of the pregnancy is important.

The woman must not have any physical conditions that would make the drug dangerous or deadly for her, must be responsible enough to return for the multiple follow-up visits and must have a support system to help receive emergency care if needed.

If the woman meets the criteria, she takes the RU-486 pills in view of the abortionist. During the next 48 hours, RU-486 deprives the developing child of needed nutrients, and he or she dies. Two days later, the woman receives a prostaglandin to stimulate uterine contractions to expel her dead child. She remains in the doctor's office for four hours, waiting for the contractions, bleeding and abortion to begin.

Severe pain, nausea and diarrhea are typical side effects. While 50 percent to 70 percent of women abort during this second visit, many abort later: on the bus, at work, etc. Some never abort (the method "failed" 8 percent to 23 percent of the time in the U.S. trials). The woman must undergo a surgical abortion two weeks later if the chemical abortion fails.

Myth No. 2: RU-486 will make abortion more available.

Abortion proponents hope that once RU-486 is legalized, more physicians will offer this chemical abortion than offer surgical abortion. A different scenario may be emerging.

Abortionists who participated in the U.S. clinical trials of RU-486 report that it is "cumbersome and challenging." The protocol "caused considerable disruptions in their offices and clinics, largely because of the demand for bathrooms to accommodate the nausea and diarrhea that resulted. Some providers concluded that medical abortions could not be smoothly integrated with other office or clinic activities or would have to be done on separate days" (Family Planning Perspectives, Jan./Feb. 1999).

In addition, expensive ultrasound machines would be needed to adequately size the early pregnancies and to affirm the abortion was complete. For "failed" RU-486 procedures, the doctor must perform, or refer the mother for, a surgical abortion. The unborn child who survives the RU-486 "drug cocktail" has a higher risk of severe birth defects. Many physicians who have already decided not to do abortions may also forgo RU-486 abortions.

Myth No. 3: RU-486 will eliminate the abortion debate.

While RU-486 is an earlier method of abortion, it still destroys a developing child.

Even at 5 weeks (the earliest time for RU-486), the unborn child has a heartbeat and its body is developing. By 7 weeks (the outer limits for RU-486), the tiny child has brain waves and is moving about in the womb. Some mothers will see their aborted baby.

In speaking of the mother's experience through this long process, Edouard Sakiz, RU-486's developer said, "It's an appalling psychological ordeal."

Myth No. 4: RU-486 abortion is "safer."

The physician's largest obstacle to performing RU-486 abortions is the hours of office stay required by women after ingesting the prostaglandin.

Abortion proponents are callously disregarding women's well-being and have asked Federal Drug Administration permission for women to take the drugs at home. This in spite of the fact that at-home drug ingestion was not part of the FDA trials, and it is not practiced that way in France.

Lacking an overseeing physician, women would be put at risk anywhere along the multistep process. Excessive bleeding, especially among women who are miles from medical care, could be serious, even fatal. In the U.S. trials, 80 percent to 90 percent of women had much heavier bleeding than normal menstrual bleeding; one woman needed a transfusion to save her life. In a key French test, 3 percent of women needed medical attention, including transfusions for severe bleeding.

RU-486 should be strongly opposed because it kills an unborn child, can deform babies who survive the abortion attempt, has already killed and injured women, and will continue to risk women's lives and future fertility.

True compassion for women and their unborn children mandates eliminating all abortions. In its place, society can offer what the pro-life community already offers to women: emotional and physical help (counseling, housing, job training, adoption help, etc.). True compassion demands that we love them both - mother and child.

Gayle Atteberry of Eugene is the executive director of Oregon Right to Life.