Millions of women find themselves unexpectedly expecting every year in the United States. When deciding whether to continue or terminate an unplanned pregnancy, an estimated two in five women (40%) opt to have an abortion.
If you’ve decided you don’t want to go forward with an unplanned pregnancy, the abortion pill — also known as a self-managed, medication, or medical abortion — can be a safe and effective way to end an early pregnancy.
Here, our team at Rose Women’s Medical Center in Franklin Park, Illinois, discusses the ins and outs of nonsurgical pregnancy termination, including the guidelines that determine when it’s a viable option.
A nonsurgical abortion involves taking medication — a.k.a. the abortion pill — to end your pregnancy. In contrast, a surgical abortion terminates pregnancy via vacuum aspiration or dilation suction.
Specifically, a nonsurgical abortion uses two different FDA-approved medications — mifepristone and misoprostol — to terminate an early pregnancy that’s still within the first 70 days (10 weeks) of your first trimester, as determined by an ultrasound.
When you decide to end your pregnancy, it’s important to understand your available options, including the risks, advantages, and drawbacks of each. Depending on your situation, you may be able to choose between a medical or surgical abortion, or you may only be eligible for one termination method.
How far along you are (weeks of gestation) is the main guiding factor when deciding between a medical or surgical abortion: The abortion pill is only used in early pregnancy.
Mifepristone and misoprostol can only be used to terminate an early, normal pregnancy; the medicines aren’t effective for ectopic (tubal) pregnancies. To be eligible for a medical abortion, you must be within your first 10 weeks of pregnancy — meaning it’s been 70 days or less since the first day of your last normal menstrual period.
To ensure these requirements are met, our team performs a physical exam and ultrasound, confirming a normal, non-ectopic pregnancy that’s within the 10-week timeframe.
Many women opt to terminate an early pregnancy via a nonsurgical abortion because it feels safer, more natural, and more private (i.e., self-managed) compared to aspiration. The abortion pill may also be preferential if you have certain gynecological conditions, such as large uterine fibroids or a structural uterine abnormality.
You aren’t eligible for a nonsurgical abortion if you’re past your 10th week of pregnancy. It’s also not a viable option if you:
If you have an IUD, you can take mifepristone and misoprostol once it’s removed.
If — after having a pregnancy test, physical exam, ultrasound, and pregnancy termination counseling with our team — you’re eligible for and choose a medical abortion, you can get started with the three-step process:
You take mifepristone, the first medicine in the nonsurgical abortion protocol, in our office. This medication decreases your body’s production of progesterone, a hormone essential to maintaining pregnancy. Insufficient progesterone causes the pregnancy sac to detach from your uterine wall and stop progressing.
You won’t feel any different or experience pregnancy termination symptoms after taking mifepristone.
Within 24-48 hours of taking mifepristone in our center, you take the second medicine, misoprostol — also called the abortion pill — in the privacy of your own home. Misoprostol facilitates a miscarriage by prompting your uterus to shed the pregnancy.
Cramping and heavy bleeding typically arise within a couple of hours of taking misoprostol; these symptoms tend to be most severe in the first 24 hours. Our caring team is available around the clock for any questions or concerns that may arise.
Within 7-14 days after you start the process with mifepristone, you have a follow-up appointment with our team so we can ensure your pregnancy is terminated.
The abortion pill is very effective, particularly in the first eight weeks of pregnancy, when it’s 98% effective. Between weeks 8-10, it’s 91-96% effective. If you’re 9-10 weeks pregnant, taking an extra dose of misoprostol can make the procedure 99% effective.
Are you interested in learning about your pregnancy termination options? We’re here to help. Call our team at Rose Women’s Medical Center at 331-233-1350 today or request an appointment online at your convenience.
