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American abortion-rights advocates talk of boiling France's time-consuming RU 486 procedure down to just two visits to the doctor. It would be possible, though controversial, for the government to let RU 486 be administered in any doctor's office or possibly even by trained nurse practitioners. If that happened, many women could avoid running a gauntlet of protesters outside an abortion clinic. Still, it won't take all the anguish out of the procedure. "It's insulting to women to say that abortion now will be as easy as taking aspirins," says Baulieu. "It is always difficult, psychologically and physically, sometimes tragic."