Also known as medical abortion, the abortion pill is a series of two drugs that terminate an existing, viable pregnancy.
If you’re considering abortion as a pregnancy decision, take the time to understand the process and all the risks involved. You will also want to confirm your pregnancy to determine if you’re eligible for abortion.
How Does it Work?
Mifepristone, the first drug, blocks progesterone, and once cut off, the lack of progesterone causes fetal demise.
Second, misoprostol is taken shortly after and causes uterine cramping and contractions to expel the pregnancy.
What Are the Risks?
Common physical risks of medical abortion (the abortion pill) include infection, incomplete abortion, heavy/prolonged bleeding, fever, and digestive system discomfort.
According to the Mayo Clinic, you should not take the abortion pill if you:
- Are too far along in your pregnancy. You shouldn’t attempt a medical abortion if you’ve been pregnant for more than nine weeks (after the start of your last period). Some types of medical abortion aren’t available after seven weeks of pregnancy.
- Have an intrauterine device (IUD) currently in place.
- Have a suspected pregnancy outside of the uterus. This is called ectopic pregnancy.
- Have certain medical conditions. These include bleeding disorders; particular heart or blood vessel diseases; severe liver, kidney, or lung disease; or an uncontrolled seizure disorder.
- Take a blood thinner or certain steroid medicines.
- You can’t make follow-up visits to your provider or don’t have access to emergency care.
- Have an allergy to the drugs used.
These warnings are in place for your health and safety, which should always be your top priority when considering any medication or surgical procedure.
Safeguard Your Health
The abortion pill is FDA-approved through the tenth week of pregnancy. If you are farther along in your pregnancy, the abortion pill is not recommended.
To confirm your pregnancy details, one of our nurses can provide you with a Pregnancy Confirmation appointment. We offer same-day ultrasounds for those who receive positive pregnancy testing at our clinic.
STD testing is also available for those who receive positive pregnancy testing. Contact us today to schedule a free and confidential appointment at either our Freeport or Rockford (Loves Park) clinic.
