At-home abortion. Self-managed abortion. These statements make it sound easy, safe. Who wouldn’t want to be in the privacy of their own home instead of a sterile clinic? However, as with any abortion, the abortion pill has risks and side effects that you should be aware of before making a decision to end your pregnancy at home.
Before taking the abortion pill:
It is vital before taking the abortion pill to see a licensed medical professional. This visit should include a complete medical history, screening for complications, and an ultrasound to check age and viability of the baby. Your doctor should be concerned about your physical safety as well as your emotional well-being.
Visit this website for a complete checklist of what to consider before having an abortion.
Side effects:
Abortion providers will tell you that you may experience tiredness and cramping along with some spotting or bleeding like during your period, but can return to normal activities after a day or so.1 While this is true, it is a downplay of the true effects of the abortion pill. Bleeding may last up to 2 weeks with spotting lasting up to a month. The average medical abortion patient complained of pain greater than 6 on a scale of 1 to 11, with 2 out of 10 complaining of pain at a 10.2 This is not like your “average” period. Other side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and fever.
Safety:
Not only can you have an at-home abortion, but now you can even buy the abortion pill on the internet. Please do not pick convenience and cost over your health safety. According to the FDA, buying the abortion pill over the internet bypasses important safeguards designed to protect your health.3 The FDA has also labeled this drug with a black box warning which is their highest level of caution given to a medication.
Despite the convenience of the at-home abortion, it is important to remember that it is still a medical procedure with risks and side effects. If you don’t have a healthcare provider that is truly concerned with caring for your health, please reach out to us.
We want to love and protect you physically and emotionally through this time in your life, no matter what you decide.
1 What Can I Expect After Taking the Abortion Pill
2 Pain Relief During Medical Abortion
3 Mifepristone Information
This article was written by a practicing nurse, and reviewed by a doctor for clarity and accuracy. We want you to have the best medical advice and expertise available as you look at your choices.
You need to take control of your health and your choices, and doing that means you need all of the facts available before making a decision.
We suggest you talk over all of your options with someone who is knowledgeable, in a non-judgmental atmosphere. That’s why we are here – to give you all of your options and information that put you in complete control of your health decisions.
And no matter what choice you make, we will be here for you. You won’t find that anywhere else!
