Also known as the abortion pill, medical abortion consists of two different drugs that work to terminate an existing pregnancy.
A medical abortion comes with risks to consider, as well as pregnancy confirmation steps to determine how far along you are in your pregnancy. The FDA only approves medical abortion through the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
How Medical Abortion Works
The drugs used in a medical abortion procedure are typically mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone to end the pregnancy.
Second, misoprostol is taken and causes the uterus to contract and expel the embryo or fetus through the vagina.
The Risks of Medical Abortion
Possible physical risks of medical abortion include the following:
- Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion
- An ongoing pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
- Fever
- Digestive system discomfort
It’s vital to understand that not all women are eligible for a medical abortion. According to the Mayo Clinic, this type of abortion may not be an option if you:
- Are too far along in your pregnancy (beyond nine weeks)
- Have an intrauterine device (IUD) currently in place (This should be removed first.)
- Have a suspected pregnancy outside of the uterus. This is called ectopic pregnancy.
- Have certain medical conditions
- Take a blood thinner or certain steroid medicines
- Can’t make follow-up visits to your provider or don’t have access to emergency care
- Have an allergy to the medicine used
Protect your health and safety by speaking with a medical professional and receiving an ultrasound scan before an abortion.
An ultrasound can tell you how far along you are and alert you to potential complications, such as ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.
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