Medical Abortion

A medical abortion, also known as medication abortion, occurs when abortion pills are used to terminate a pregnancy. You can use the medical abortion pill mifepristone together with misoprostol, or misoprostol only. The pills can be taken either vaginally or sublingually. However, we recommend sublingual usage to avoid detection. The World Health Organization classifies medical abortion as a self-care intervention that does not necessarily need the supervision of a trained health provider. This means it can be self-managed in the comfort of your home. The HowToUseAbortionPill protocol is intended for pregnancies up to 13 weeks.

About Medical Abortion
How it Works Abortion Pills

How the Medical Abortion Pills Work

Mifepristone stops the pregnancy from continuing to grow, and helps to open the cervix (entrance to the uterus). Misoprostol causes the uterus to contract, which will eventually push out the pregnancy.

Once the misoprostol is absorbed into the body, cramping and bleeding will start. This usually begins within 1 to 2 hours of the first set of pills. The abortion usually happens within 24 hours of taking the last pills of misoprostol. Often, it happens before that.

Concerned After Taking Abortion Pills?

Below are a few ways to recognize if the abortion was successful:

  • You may identify the pregnancy tissue when it passes. It can look like dark colored blood clots with thin membranes, or a small sac surrounded by a white, fluffy layer. Depending on the age of the pregnancy, it can be smaller than your fingernail, or up to the size of your thumb.
  • Bleeding during the abortion process is often similar to a menstrual cycle, or may be more.
  • Your pregnancy symptoms will improve. Things like breast pain, nausea, and fatigue should start to get better.

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