The abortion pill is a serious medical decision. It involves ending your pregnancy by taking two different drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, in succession.
While not every woman will experience a complication, complications are possible, especially when women do not have adequate medical oversight or receive drugs online through unregulated sources.
We’ll outline the risks of the abortion pill below so you know about every potential risk, and also note the avoidable risks that can happen without appropriate medical screenings.
Firstlook Pregnancy Center can help you during this challenging time. Contact us today to schedule a free appointment in a safe and confidential setting where you can talk freely and learn about your pregnancy options and resources.
What Are the Medical Risks of the Abortion Pill?
The abortion pill first ends the pregnancy by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is essential for pregnancy survival. Without it, the pregnancy will stop developing and end.
Next, a woman takes misoprostol to trigger the uterus to contract and expel the embryo or fetus and all related pregnancy tissue from the uterus. This part of the process comes with abdominal cramping and vaginal bleeding as the uterus empties.
The risks of the abortion pill include:
- An incomplete abortion occurs when the uterus fails to empty
- Infection, which can happen after an incomplete abortion
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Digestive system discomfort, such as pain or diarrhea
- Fever, which can be a sign of an infection
- An ongoing pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
The Preventable Risks
Taking abortion drugs without a health screening beforehand can cause you to experience even more issues. You can miss critical health details without a short visit for pregnancy confirmation and an ultrasound.
- The Abortion Pill is only FDA approved up to 10-week of gestation. Taking the drugs beyond this timeline can lead to more significant bleeding and lower chances of it working.
- Having an undetected sexually transmitted disease or infection, which can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Having an undetected ectopic pregnancy can cause life-threatening bleeding if not caught and treated soon enough
- Having a miscarriage, which means you’d take serious drugs for no reason
- Taking a blood thinner, steroid, or other medication at the time of the abortion, which would make the abortion pill unsafe
Talking with a medical professional about your current medications and health conditions, and receiving an ultrasound can protect your health and safety and prevent the risks above.
Visit FirstLook Pregnancy Center
Talk with FirstLook Pregnancy Center today to protect your health and safety. We can provide information about every risk and ensure you know your pregnancy options.
We also offer pregnancy testing and ultrasounds for those who qualify, and we can help answer any questions you may have. While we do not refer for or provide abortions, we can offer referrals to other services we do not offer, such as STD/STI testing.
Contact us today to schedule a free, confidential appointment. FirstLook Pregnancy Center is here to assist you!