Get the information you need about the abortion pill (medical abortion) to make a clear decision. The abortion pill involves a series of two drugs that terminate an existing pregnancy.
The FDA only recommends the abortion pill for women through 10 weeks of gestational age. An ultrasound is needed before an abortion to determine how far along you are in pregnancy.
Keep reading to learn about the abortion pill process, how mifepristone and misoprostol work to end a pregnancy, and what the risks look like.
The Two Types of Abortion Pills
Many women don’t know that the abortion pill includes two different abortion drugs. Also known as medical abortion, both mifepristone and misoprostol are taken in the abortion pill process.
Mifepristone is taken first, which works to block the hormone progesterone, preventing the uterus from sustaining a pregnancy and causing the fertilized egg to detach from the uterine wall.
Next, misoprostol is taken 24-48 hours later. This drug is used to cause your uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy from your body.
Abortion Pill Risks to Understand
You deserve the facts about the risks upfront before making up your mind about the abortion pill. Some of the potential risks include the following:
- The body not releasing all pregnancy tissue in the uterus, also called an incomplete abortion. This may require surgical treatment.
- An ongoing pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
- Fever
- Digestive symptoms such as upset stomach
Before Taking the Abortion Pill
Your health and safety should be the top priority. Before moving forward with any type of abortion and pregnancy decision, it’s vital to understand how far along you are and if there are any potential complications or risks to your health.
Start with a free and confidential pregnancy test at Life Choices Family Resource Center today. If your test is positive, we can offer you a free ultrasound and more education about all your pregnancy options.
Contact us to schedule a free pregnancy test appointment and talk through your options in a non-judgmental space. You don’t have to make this decision alone.
Life Choices Family Resource Center does not perform or refer for abortions.
All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.