Like other medications, the abortion pill comes with a number of serious risks. These risks include pelvic inflammatory disease, sepsis, and incomplete abortion.
You deserve to be aware of the possible risks before choosing the abortion pill.
What Is the Abortion Pill?
The abortion pill, or medication abortion, is actually two drugs that you take to end an early pregnancy.
The first drug, mifepristone, is prescribed and taken at the abortion clinic. It ends the pregnancy by blocking progesterone, which is needed for the pregnancy to grow.
The second drug, misoprostol, is taken hours or days after mifepristone. It’s taken at home and expels the pregnancy through uterine cramping and contractions.
The FDA has only approved abortion pill for early pregnancies. You must be in the first 70 days since the first day of your last menstrual cycle to qualify for the abortion pill.
What Are the Risks of the Abortion Pill?
These are the risks of the abortion pill that you deserve to know about. It’s important to carefully consider them before deciding to end your early pregnancy.
Incomplete Abortion
Incomplete abortion happens if all of the fetal tissue is not expelled. Incomplete abortion may lead to infection and may require a surgical abortion to complete. Contact your doctor right away if you bleed enough to soak through two thick full-size sanitary pads per hour for two consecutive hours.
Septic Shock
Septic shock constitutes a medical emergency, and if you experience any of the following symptoms, seek medical attention immediately:
- Very high or very low body temperature
- Heavy bleeding
- Severe pain
- Cool, pale arms and legs
- Feelings of confusion, restlessness, or fatigue
- Shaking chills
- Low blood pressure, especially when standing
- Inability to urinate
- Heart palpitations
- Rapid, pounding heart rate
- Difficult, rapid breathing with shortness of breath
Abdominal Pain
You should contact your doctor if you feel sick or experience abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or weakness (with or without a fever). These can either be symptoms of a serious infection or a possible ectopic pregnancy.
Fever
A fever of 100.4 degrees or higher that lasts more than four hours requires medical care. According to the FDA, fever can be a symptom of an infection or another problem post-abortion.
Before Taking the Abortion Pill
Before choosing the abortion pill, make sure you get an ultrasound. It will help you determine how far along you are and rule out the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy.
We offer free pregnancy testing and ultrasounds so you can make a fully-informed decision. Contact Pathways Pregnancy Resource Center to schedule your appointment today.