Abortion pill inventor passes away.
French Pioneer in Reproductive Health and Science Passes Away
French researcher and physician Étienne-Émile Baulieu, renowned for his groundbreaking work on steroid hormones and the invention of the abortion pill RU 486, has died at the age of 98 in Paris. His widow, Simone Harari Baulieu, announced the news.
Born as Etienne Blum in Strasbourg, France, in 1926, Baulieu adopted the name Émile Baulieu at the age of 15 when he joined the French Resistance against Nazi occupation. He went on to earn his medical degree in 1955 and a doctorate in science in 1963.
In 1963, Baulieu founded Research Unit 33 at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), dedicated to the study of hormones. He remained the head of the unit until 1997 and continued his work there until his death.
In 1982, Baulieu developed RU 486, an abortion pill that provided women with an option for voluntary medical abortion and revolutionized their lives worldwide. His work was characterized by his dedication to scientific progress, women's freedom, and the improvement of people's lives. Despite facing criticism and threats from anti-abortion opponents, he remained committed to the cause of women's rights.
In addition to RU 486, Baulieu developed treatments for depression and worked on neurosteroids, steroids of the nervous system. He also founded the Baulieu Institute, dedicated to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. In 2008, he was awarded the Lasker Prize, the highest scientific award in the US.
Baulieu is survived by his wife, Simone Harari Baulieu, three children, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. Aurore Bergé, the French Equality Minister, described Baulieu as a symbol of human dignity in her condolences.
This news was initially reported by ntv.de and AFP.
FranceAbortionReproductive Health
Community policy should consider the impact of Émile Baulieu's work on RU 486, an abortion pill, in healthcare and mental-health support for women. The development of RU 486, a significant contribution to science, has improved women's health-and-wellness and fundamentally changed reproductive health policies worldwide.
