The Abortion Pill, also known as the French abortion pill or RU-486, as an alternative to the surgical abortion procedure. The abortion pill method is available up to 10 weeks.
Two medicines are used to complete the abortion. The first medication, Mifeprex, is given by mouth and causes the hormone an the pregnancy to stop from growing. The second medication, Misoprostol, is also giving by mouth and causes the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy.
The abortion pill requires TWO clinic visits on TWO separate days.
On the first visit, you would complete the state-mandated counseling and our physician and counselors will answer any questions you may have about the process then we start the process which includes: signing your consent papers, meet with the physician, and swallow the Mifeprex pills. You would receive Misoprostol tablets to take home for oral use 24 hours later. You would also receive detailed instructions and pain medications.
With the abortion pill, you could expect cramping, heavy bleeding, and clots. The process can last anywhere from 4 to 12 hours and in some cases it may take up to 48 hours.
At the second visit, 7-10 days, you would need a follow-up ultrasound to make sure that you’ve passed the pregnancy and are no longer pregnant.
If you have a problem or an emergency during or after this process, you would need to speak with our on-call medical staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Comparison of Medical Abortion (Abortion Pill) vs. Surgical Abortion
| Medical Abortion (Abortion Pill) | Surgical Abortion |
|---|---|
| Must be 10 weeks or earlier from last menstrual period (LMP) | Beyond 10 weeks, surgical abortion is the only option |
| The woman controls the abortion | The physician performs surgery |
| Requires 3 visits to the clinic | Requires 2 visits to the clinic and a pelvic examination on surgery day |
| Complications are rare | Complications are rare |
| May take several hours to a few days to complete | Surgery completed in one day |
| Bleeding is heavy with clots and cramping | Bleeding is light to moderate with few clots and some cramping |
| Non-invasive, as medications cause the abortion | Invasive procedure, as instruments are within the uterus |
| No activity restrictions | Activity restrictions for 2 weeks |
Considerations for abortion pill:
| Considerations for surgical abortion:
|