What is the Abortion Pill?
A medication abortion, also known as the abortion pill, requires taking two drugs to terminate an existing pregnancy. Those drugs are mifepristone and misoprostol.
You take mifepristone first, which blocks the uterus from absorbing progesterone. This drug prevents the embryo from implanting and growing.
Misoprostol is taken 24–48 hours later and makes the uterus contract to expel the pregnancy through the vagina. The common risks of medication abortion include:
- Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion
- An ongoing unwanted pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
- Fever
- Digestive system discomfort
How do I get the Abortion Pill?
It’s important to receive a pregnancy test and an ultrasound before receiving any abortion services. These procedures inform you and your doctor what abortion services you qualify for and if the pregnancy is viable.
If you are potentially eligible for the abortion pill based on specific circumstances, you first need to confirm your pregnancy. According to the FDA, only women up to 70 days gestation are eligible for the abortion pill. Otherwise, surgical abortion is your only other possible option.
Confirm your pregnancy with lab-quality pregnancy testing and an ultrasound to know if you qualify for the abortion pill and learn about other options.
An ultrasound goes one step further and reveals how far along you are, the location of your pregnancy (if it’s located in the uterus or not), and determines if it’s a viable, growing pregnancy.
Schedule a free and confidential appointment to start your pregnancy confirmation process. We are here for you.
Heartbeats Women’s Center does not perform and refer for abortions.
