Abortion drug RU486 'illegal'

NORTH Queensland women have been warned they could still be breaking the law if they take the abortion drug RU486.

Queensland Right to Life says a 1986 District Court ruling clearly outlaws abortion other than in cases where the mother's life is at risk.

Allan Baker, vice-president of the Queensland Right to Life, says Cairns doctor Caroline de Costa's success in importing the drug does not necessarily make it legal.

"When I last checked, pregnancy was not a life-threatening illness," he said.

Professor de Costa, who has successfully applied to have a small batch of the drugs imported from New Zealand, says RU486 will be prescribed in conjunction with medical supervision in Cairns, probably within four weeks.

Professor de Costa said women in isolated areas of the state needed the drug. Many could not afford the cost involved in coming to a major centre for a lengthy hospital stay to have an abortion.

But Mr Baker said 98 per cent of abortions in Australia were performed for financial or social reasons.

Mr Baker said be believed it was inevitable that the drug would come to be used to terminate viable pregnancies.