Pennyroyal...hmmm...that has a nice ring to it.....
A reader, in response to my rant about women's choice, sent an email to me asking if I had heard about Pennyroyal and its ability to naturally abort a fetus early - like within two months of conception. I had never heard of it, and she was kind enough to forward the following information to me. Thanks, sista, you rock.

Before I go one....as with any drug.....do I need to say this? Really? Long exaggerated exhale. Ok. This is a drug. Just because you hear one person's account and know the name does not mean that you have researched the drug. Look it up, find out what to do and what not to do. Find out possible side effects and how it interacts with any medication (legal, non-legal, prescribed and not so prescribed) that you might be taking. Be smart. Anything you put in your body should be something you know a lot about. Ok? Really. Don't screw around and mess up a possible solution or alternative for a lot of other women by taking a herb that makes you sick or kills you and adds to the fear mongerers' lethal list. Do you know what I mean? Ok, read on...

"You can buy Pennyroyal in a capsule and take it, or you can make tea out of it. You can put it in your bathwater, douche with it, or sprinkle it on your food. It is a member of the mint family. The idea is to keep the herb in your system constantly for three to five days. It is not safe to use later in pregnancy: Only early on---maybe 4 to 8 weeks pregnant. It will cause you to have your period even if you are pregnant. The tea did not work for me, but the capsules sure did! So I would recommend those. You also need to get Vitamin C to counter the toxic effect of the herb, and take Brewer's Yeast, (but I forget why). When I have used this, I would take several capsules with a large glass of water before going to bed. When I wake up to go to the bathroom, take more capsules and water. When I got up, and then every few hours throughout the day. Also with Brewer's Yeast and Vitamin C but less of those. When you start to bleed, STOP TAKING PENNYROYAL!!!!! It can cause you to hemmorage. It is not safe to use for more than five days. You should begin to have your period by then. Several days later you will pass a plug of tissue that is the compressed parts of the fetus. This is much safer for your body than traditional suction abortion. As I said, I learned this when I worked at The Feminist Women's Health Center in Atlanta, GA. They believe that women's health belongs in women's hands."