French scientist behind abortion pill dies aged 98
The French scientist who created the abortion pill has died at the age of 98.
Étienne-Émile Baulieu helped develop the oral drug RU-486, also known as mifepristone, which has provided millions of women across the world with a safe and inexpensive alternative to a surgical abortion.
Dr Baulieu died at his home in Paris on Friday, his widow confirmed in a statement.
Simone Harari Baulieu said: "His research was guided by his commitment to progress through science, his dedication to women's freedom and his desire to enable everyone to live better and longer lives."
French President Emmanuel Macron called Dr Baulieu "a beacon of courage" and "a progressive mind who enabled women to win their freedom".
"Few French people have changed the world to such an extent," he added in a post on X.
Aurore Bergé, France's gender equality minister, said Dr Baulieu "was guided throughout his life by one requirement: that of human dignity" in a post on X.
Dr Baulieu was born Étienne Blum on 12 December 1926 in Strasbourg. He changed his name to join the French resistance against the Nazi occupation when he was 15.
Following his graduation, he travelled to the United States where he worked with the man known as the father of the contraceptive pill, Dr Gregory Pincus. Dr Pincus advised him on focusing on sex hormones.
Back in France, Dr Baulieu designed a method to block the effect of the hormone progesterone – which is essential for the egg to implant in the uterus following fertilisation.
While the abortion pill was developed within 10 years, Dr Baulieu spent decades pushing international governments to authorise the drug despite facing fierce criticism and sometimes threats from opponents of abortion.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) added it to its list of essential medication only in 2010.
Presenting him with the Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur in 2023, Macron said: "You, a Jew and a member of the resistance, were heaped with the most atrocious insults and compared to Nazi scientists.
"But you held firm, out of love for freedom and science."
Upon Wyoming becoming the first US state to ban the abortion pill in 2023, Dr Baulieu noted he had spent a large part of his life trying to increase "the freedom of women", adding such bans were a step in the wrong direction.
His recent research included trying to find a way to prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease, as well as a treatment for severe depression.
New York county clerk blocks Texas abortion telehealth suit
Women seeking abortions after using 'natural' contraception
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
French Mirage 2000 fighter jets draw Ukraine's national emblem over Black Sea
A French Mirage 2000 fighter jet patrol conducted a demonstration flight over the Black Sea on Wednesday 4 June. Source: Ukrainian Air Force; Flightradar24, a Swedish real-time flight tracking service Details: The Ukrainian Air Force noted that there was something special about the flight's trajectory: the route followed by the fighter jets depicted Ukraine's national emblem – the tryzub (trident). The flight path could be seen on publicly available flight-tracking platforms such as Flightradar24. Ukraine's national emblem. Screenshot: Flightradar24 Quote from the Ukrainian Air Force: "It was spotted not only by Russian radars but also by millions of users around the world. It appeared in social media news feeds, in mainstream media and on smartphone screens. This gesture is a demonstration of support, solidarity and strategic partnership with Ukraine. For Ukraine, this act has more than symbolic value. It illustrates international support and our allies' readiness to take action." Details: The Air Force expressed gratitude to Ukraine's French partners for their clear and public show of support. Ukrainian pilots in front of a Mirage 2000 aircraft supplied by France. Photo: Ukrainian Air Force Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Large majority of Germans want tighter controls on arms exports to Israel
BERLIN (Reuters) -Some 73% of Germans want tighter controls on arms exports to Israel, including 30% who favour a total ban, a poll showed on Wednesday, reflecting growing public unease over the government's Israel policy. Since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Germany has remained one of Israel's staunchest allies and its second largest arms supplier, despite Israel's increasing international isolation and rising criticism over its devastating war in Gaza. Between Hamas' attack and mid-May this year, Germany approved military equipment exports to Israel worth 485 million euros ($553.72 million), according to a response to a parliamentary inquiry published on Tuesday. The deliveries included firearms, ammunition, weapons parts, special equipment for the army and navy, electronic equipment, and special armoured vehicles. No lawsuit challenging German arms exports to Israel has yet succeeded, including a case brought by Nicaragua at the International Court of Justice. But Germany's stance shifted last week when new Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised Israel's intensified airstrikes in Gaza, calling them no longer justified or comprehensible. His foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, warned of possible consequences - hinting at steps towards arms export sanctions. Three out of four Germans back Merz's criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza, according to a poll by public broadcaster ARD. The survey, conducted among 1,292 respondents on June 2-3, also found that 55% reject the idea that Germany bears a special responsibility to protect Israel due to the legacy of the Nazi-era Holocaust of European Jews. Thirteen percent of those surveyed believe Germany should stand unconditionally with Israel in the Middle East conflict, while 74% opposed such a stance. Additionally, 63% said Israel's military response in Gaza has gone too far, an increase of six percentage points since August, while 73% consider Israeli military actions unjustified. ($1 = 0.8759 euros)
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Paris seeks personhood status for River Seine
French authorities want to give legal rights to the River Seine to better defend the world-famous waterway in court and protect its fragile ecosystem, part of a global movement to grant legal personhood to nature. In a resolution adopted on Wednesday, the Paris City Council called on parliament to pass a law granting the Seine legal personhood to enable "an independent guardian authority to defend its rights in court". "The Seine must be able to defend itself, as a subject of law and not as an object, because it will always be under attack," said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Conservationists have backed granting fragile ecosystems such as rivers and mountains basic legal rights to better protect them. In a world first, New Zealand in 2017 recognised the Whanganui River revered by Indigenous people as a living entity, with legislation combining Western legal precedent and Maori beliefs. In 2022, Spain granted personhood status to the Mar Menor, one of Europe's largest saltwater lagoons, to give its threatened ecosystem better protection. The Paris Council based its decision on the conclusions of a citizens' convention on the future of the Seine held between March and May. Fifty citizens chosen at random proposed granting the Seine fundamental rights such as "the right to exist, to flow and to regenerate". The Seine must be considered an ecosystem that "no one can claim ownership of", where the preservation of life must "take precedence over everything", the convention concluded. It also noted "positive" change, with the Seine now home to around 40 species of fish, compared to only four in 1970. French authorities spent $1.5 billion ahead of the 2024 Olympics to clean up the Seine, the 777-kilometre (482-mile) river that flows through Paris past the Louvre, Notre Dame cathedral and other iconic landmarks. However, it is threatened by pollution, rising water temperatures and the use of pesticides in agriculture. The opening of the river to the public for swimming this summer could present "additional risks", warned the convention. Fulfilling a key legacy promise from the Paris Games, authorities are to allow the public to swim from July 5 at three points in the Seine, which is now deemed safe for a dip. juc-as/ekf/jhb
