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Medical Abortion | How Safe Is the Abortion Pill?

The Abortion Pill is a highly safe and effective way to terminate pregnancies in the first trimester (3 to 14 weeks) second trimester (14.1 to 28 weeks) third trimester (28.1 weeks or further) or late term abortions (21 weeks or further).

Over 90% of Medical Abortion Procedures are performed in the US at 13.1 weeks pregnant or less.

What Is The Chance Of Complications Ehen Using The Abortion Pill To Terminate A Pregnancy?

The chance of a serious complication occurring is less than 1%.

The most common complications using the abortion pill include the following:

• Shivering
• Chills
• Fever
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Lower abdominal and back pain
• Vaginal bleeding
• Diarrhea.

The more serious side effects when women use the abortion pill to end their pregnancies are the following:

• Retained Pregnancy tissue inside the Uterus. The incidence of remaining pregnancy products occur in less than 1% of women. Symptoms may include the following:
  • Lower abdominal pain
  • Low grade temperature (99 – 100.4 F generally)
  • Heavier passage of pregnancy tissue, vaginal bleeding and blood clots
• Failed Abortion – Failure of pregnancy tissue to pass through the vagina
• Requirement of blood transfusion due to heavy vaginal bleeding (defined as soaking 2 or more kotex external pads for 2 hours in a row. The chance of blood transfusion being required has a incidence of 0.2 to 0.4 percent.
• Hospitalization required for IV antibiotics due to a pelvic or uterine infection (mostly due to pregnancy tissue being retained) occurs in less than 0.3 to o.9% of cases.
• Life threatening sepsis due to bacteria spreading from the Uterus to the bloodstream that may lead to maternal death. This requires immediate hospitalization and initiating IV antibiotics.
• The incidence of maternal death that is associated wit the abortion pill process is 0.00067. This makes the abortion pill procedure over 10 times safer than a term vaginal birth delivery.

The complications associated with the surgical procedure such as uterine perforation or local or IV anesthetics or general anesthesia, do not occur.

How Does The Medical Abortion Process Work?

There are several methods and medications that can be used to perform the medical abortion procedure.

The first medication is Methotrexate. It is an anti-cancer drug that was initially used in the 1950’s to treat several kinds of cancers.

Methotrexate causes spontaneous miscarriages in women 7 weeks or less at a rate of nearly 100%.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Methotrexate began to be used to treat ectopic pregnancies.

Medical studies in the early 90’s showed that the use of methotrexate alone in women 6 weeks or less confirmed pregnancy termination nearly 100% of the time.

Cytotec (Misoprostol) is a prostaglandin approved to prevent ulcers in people who chronically take Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories (NSAIDS).

Cytotec causes uterine contractions may be used alone or combined with Methotrexate to cause abortions, treat missed or incomplete abortions, induce premature or term labor for vaginal deliveries.

The combination of Methotrexate and Cytotec was found to be highly effective (94 to 95%) in performing abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Since September of 2000, what is now commonly called the “Abortion pill” (RU 486, Mifeprex, Mifepristone, French Pill) was approved by the FDA in the U.S. to terminate early first trimester pregnancies (up to 7 weeks).

How Does The Abortion Pill (RU 486) Work?

RU 486 (Mifeprex/Mifepristone) works by competing with the hormone progesterone for its receptor. This causes spontaneous uterine contractions and softening of the cervix. RU 486 alone causes complete abortion 40% of the time in women who are 7 weeks pregnant.

The combination of RU 486 and Cytotec is found to be 94 to 98% effective in terminating pregnancies in the first and second trimester of pregnancies.

The combination of RU 486 and Misoprostol can be used in the third trimester to end a pregnancy.

What happens on First Visit When Undergoing A abortion Pill Procedure?

After arriving in the Family Planning facility and filling out routine medical paperwork, one will undergo lab testing, counseling and a sonogram (ultrasound).

The latter is to determine within a few days the number of weeks pregnant the patient is. The Physician will come into the patient room and do a brief history and physical exam.

The benefits and risks of the procedure are discussed.

The Physician, nurse or assistant will give the patient instructions and when and how to take the medications. When and how the medications are taken varies. It mostly depends on how rapid the patient wants to terminate the pregnancy and how it fits in her schedule.

In essence, if she has to go back to school or work, traveling for the next week or so, can affect when the patient wants to take the medication.

Patients have control over when and where she chooses to terminate her pregnancy. The second medication (misoprostol) can be taken in the office or up to a few days later after leaving the office.

Generally it is taken 24 to 48 hours after leaving the medical office. As discussed earlier, Misoprostol causes uterine cramping and bleeding which empties the uterine content.

Having a miscarriage is similar to having a heavy menstrual period. It is imperative to return to the office as instructed to have a sonogram performed to assure that the content of the uterus is emptied.

The abortion pill has a success rate of 94 to 99%. The earlier in the pregnancy that the procedure is performed, the higher the chance of success.

If the medical abortion procedure does not work, one has the choice of taking more medication or have a surgical procedure to remove the pregnancy.

When Can I Take the Abortion Pill?

You usually can get a medication abortion from 21 days (3 weeks) up to 70 days (10 weeks) from the first day of your last period. If it has been 71 days or more since the first day of your last period, one can have an in-clinic abortion to end the pregnancy.

In Summary; the Abortion Pill Procedure is highly safe and effective for termination of pregnancy.

Our Abortion Clinic offices perform the procedure in 3 to 24 week pregnancies. The process is started and completed in 24 hours or less in 99% of cases with minimal to no chance of complications or side effects.

Dr James S Pendergraft | Orlando Women’s Center | Abortion Clinic Orlando