A medical decision, like abortion, should never be made quickly. It may sound simple. Take a pill and your unplanned pregnancy disappears, but it’s more serious than that. Learn the side effects and risks of the abortion pill before you choose to have an abortion.
Before The Procedure
There are two types of abortion: medication and surgical. The abortion pill method is medication abortion. You must be less than nine or ten weeks into your pregnancy in order to have this type of abortion. If you are farther along, you will need to have a surgical abortion.
Before you can begin the procedure, you must have an ultrasound. The ultrasound determines how far along you are in your pregnancy, and if your pregnancy is viable. A viable pregnancy means there is a detectable heartbeat and the fetus is growing. If there is no heartbeat, it is possible you had a natural miscarriage. Almost 30% of known pregnancies end in a miscarriage.
The Abortion Pill Method
The abortion pill is a two-step process. Once you have had an ultrasound and determined your pregnancy is less than ten weeks along, you can begin.
First, you are given the drug, mifepristone (Mifeprex®). This drug blocks the production of progesterone which is commonly referred to as the “pregnancy hormone.” Progesterone helps the fertilized egg implant on the wall of your uterus. Mifepristone causes the lining of the uterus to thin and prevents the fetus from staying implanted.
Because it is dangerous and highly regulated, Mifeprex® is only distributed through a restricted program called MIFEPREX REMS. In fact, the warning label states, “WARNING: SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL INFECTIONS OR BLEEDING.” It’s important to always have a doctor’s supervision when using mifepristone.
You are given the second drug, Misoprostol, to take hours or even days after the mifepristone. Misoprostol causes your body to cramp to expel the fetus.
Physical Side Effects
According to the Mayo Clinic, these are the expected side effects of the abortion pill method:
- Heavy bleeding, sometimes passing large blood clots
- Severe abdominal cramping or back pain as you expel the fetus
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Fever and Chills lasting more than 24 hours
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Foul-smelling vaginal discharge
Emotional Side Effects
You need to weigh your decision carefully. Abortion is a permanent and final decision. Some of the emotions women express feeling are:
- Guilt
- Sadness
- Shame
- Loss
Risks
- 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
Your Next Steps
As you can see, there is so much more to think about when considering abortion. Before you make any decision regarding your pregnancy, come to Waterleaf Women’s Center. We offer free pregnancy testing, free ultrasounds, and free STD testing. You will need to have all of these tests to make an informed decision regarding abortion.
No one should have to make this decision alone. We’re here to help you. We promise to give you truthful, non-judgmental answers to your questions. Contact us to make an appointment!