If you’re experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, ordering the abortion pill online may seem like the simplest solution.
However, ordering the abortion pill online poses unique risks to your health. Before considering abortion, meeting with a medical provider to receive an ultrasound and discuss your health history is essential to protect your health.
What is the Abortion Pill?
The abortion pill consists of two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol. First, mifepristone is taken to thin the lining of the uterus and cause the pregnancy to detach. Then, misoprostol causes the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy through the vagina.
Risks of the Abortion Pill
Consulting a medical provider is an important way to protect your health before having an abortion. The medical provider will perform an ultrasound and discuss your health history to identify specific risk factors.
Estimating how far along you are based on your last menstrual cycle is not always accurate, so it’s critical to receive an ultrasound scan to determine the pregnancy’s age and location.
Knowing the age of your pregnancy is essential, as the FDA warns the abortion pill should not be taken after 10 weeks of pregnancy, and doing so can increase the risk of an incomplete abortion (which is when parts of the pregnancy remain in your uterus, which can lead to infection).
Additionally, if the pregnancy is outside the uterus, also referred to as an ectopic pregnancy, the abortion pill will not be effective. An ectopic pregnancy is a serious medical event and requires immediate medical attention.
Along with determining the age and location of the pregnancy, certain pre-existing conditions impact a woman’s eligibility for abortion, including:
- Having an intrauterine device (IUD)
- Taking a blood thinner or certain steroid medications
- Having an allergy to the medications used during a medical abortion
- Having certain medical issues such as bleeding disorders, heart or blood vessel diseases, severe lung, liver, or kidney disease, or an uncontrolled seizure disorder
Quality Warning of the Abortion Pill Online
The FDA has also warned that ordering the abortion pill online can be risky to your health.
When the pill is ordered online, you cannot ensure the quality and dosage of the abortion pill are appropriate and safe for you.
Understanding Your Options
The first step in better understanding your options is to have a lab-quality pregnancy test and ultrasound scan.
At Life Choices, we will provide you with these services at a confidential, free-of-charge appointment. Along with discovering more details about your pregnancy, you will also have the opportunity to express your questions and concerns to a trusted medical professional.
Contact us to get more information about your options. We want to support you in making the best decision for your health and future.